New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger has launched a sharp attack on artificial intelligence companies, accusing them of using journalistic content without permission and undermining the future of independent news reporting.
Addressing media leaders at the 77th WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress, Sulzberger alleged that AI firms have built their products on what he described as the "brazen theft of intellectual property" on an unprecedented scale.
He claimed that major technology companies routinely extract content from news websites without obtaining consent or offering compensation to publishers.
"Our profession has been too quiet, too passive and too fragmented in the face of abuses by the companies leading the AI revolution," Sulzberger said, drawing strong applause from the audience of media executives.
The New York Times is currently pursuing legal action against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement through the use of its published content to train AI systems.
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Sulzberger warned that AI companies are increasingly consolidating control over user data and public attention while failing to uphold what he called a fundamental responsibility: ensuring access to reliable and trustworthy news.
He expressed concern that the rapid rise of AI could weaken the economic foundations of journalism, threatening the ability of news organisations to fund original reporting.
"I fear we are careening toward a future with fewer and fewer journalists to do the expensive, difficult work of original reporting," he said.
The World News Media Congress, being held in partnership with CMA Media, comes at a time when news organisations worldwide are grappling with financial pressures, growing competition from social media platforms and the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence.
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