US DOJ intervenes in NYT v. OpenAI, argues AI training is fair use

美国司法部介入纽约时报诉 OpenAI 案，主张 AI 训练属合理使用

The US DOJ filed a statement of interest on Sept 1 backing OpenAI in the NYT copyright lawsuit. It argues training LLMs on copyrighted works is transformative fair use—models learn patterns, not copies. The DOJ also frames this as a national security issue: rules that make US AI development significantly harder would advantage foreign rivals. NYT's spokesperson shot back, saying the government sided with trillion-dollar AI firms at creators' expense. Both sides must file summary judgment motions by Sept 4. This case will set a major precedent for whether AI training on public content requires a license.

Why it matters: The DOJ's first formal intervention in the NYT v. OpenAI case, arguing for fair use on grounds of transformative use and national security, is a major policy signal with industry-wide implications. Score held below 85 because it's a statement of position, not a ruling or regul...