Justice Department backs OpenAI in New York Times lawsuit

The Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, has issued a statement supporting OpenAI in its lawsuit against the New York Times, arguing that limits on AI training would hurt national security and stifle competition among technology firms and publishers. The DOJ’s stance signals a rare moment when a federal agency takes a side in a copyright dispute, adding weight to OpenAI’s defense that its use of news articles is lawful.

The legal fight began in 2023 when the New York Times sued OpenAI, claiming the AI company used thousands of its articles without permission to train its language models. OpenAI counters that the data are part of the public domain and that its use falls under the fair‑use doctrine. The DOJ’s support comes after a series of policy papers that portray AI as a strategic asset for defense and economic growth, suggesting that heavy restrictions could leave the United States behind competitors in Europe and Asia.

In its brief, the DOJ warned that a ruling against OpenAI would set a precedent that could curb innovation across the entire AI sector. The agency highlighted that smaller startups would be disproportionately affected, as they lack the resources to negotiate licenses for large volumes of copyrighted text. The DOJ also noted that AI models trained on diverse data sets can improve national security applications, from intelligence analysis to cyber‑defense.

The case will proceed to trial in a New York federal court, with the DOJ likely filing an amicus brief to emphasize the broader economic and security implications. The outcome could influence how copyright law is applied to machine learning and may prompt lawmakers to draft new regulations that balance intellectual property rights with the need for technological progress. The New York Times has indicated it will appeal if the court sides with OpenAI, making this a high‑stakes battle that could reshape the relationship between news publishers and AI developers.