Two 80-something journalists sue to protect their 'written word' from AI chatbots
When two octogenarian buddies named Nick discovered that ChatGPT might be stealing and repurposing a lifetime of their work, they tapped a son-in-law to sue the companies behind the artificial intelligence chatbot. Veteran journalists Nicholas Gage, 84, and Nicholas Basbanes, 81, who live near each other in the same Massachusetts town, each devoted decades to reporting, writing and book authorship.
Gage poured his tragic family story and search for the truth about his mother's death into a bestselling memoir that led John Malkovich to play him in the 1985 film “Eleni.” Basbanes transitioned his skills as a daily newspaper reporter into writing widely-read books about literary culture.
Challenging AI Chatbots
Basbanes was the first of the duo to try fiddling with AI chatbots, finding them impressive but prone to falsehoods and lack of attribution. The friends commiserated and filed their lawsuit earlier this year, seeking to represent a class of writers whose copyrighted work they allege “has been systematically pilfered by” OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft.
“It's highway robbery,” Gage said in an interview in his office next to the 18th-century farmhouse where he lives in central Massachusetts.
Legal Battle for Writers' Rights
The lawsuit filed by Gage and Basbanes is subsumed into a broader case seeking class-action status led by well-known authors like John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George R. R. Martin. These cases revolve around the claim that OpenAI and Microsoft have used human writings without permission to train AI chatbots.
Protecting the Future of Writing
As the cases continue into 2025, Gage and Basbanes, despite not likely being witnesses, believe it is crucial to stand up for the future of their craft. Both journalists have dedicated their lives to writing and are determined to protect the integrity and rights of writers against AI advancements.
Basbanes emphasizes the time and effort it takes to craft well-researched and well-written pieces, underscoring the importance of fair compensation for writers' intellectual property. Both journalists stress the significance of preserving traditional writing practices and ensuring that writers are fairly rewarded for their work.
Gage reflects on the risks he took to uncover the truth about his mother's death, highlighting the dedication and effort required in investigative journalism that AI chatbots cannot replicate. He expresses concerns about the impact of AI technology on the future of writing and journalism.
