Scott Turow’s latest real-life legal thriller: Suing Meta for copyright infringement

Five major publishers and bestselling author Scott Turow are suing Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, for allegedly using millions of copyrighted works to develop AI models without permission. The lawsuit, filed in New York, claims Meta copied materials from pirate websites to train its Llama language model, bypassing legal licensing. Turow and the publishers argue this gives Meta an unfair advantage in the AI industry. The complaint highlights Meta’s decision to stop pursuing licensing deals, allegedly directed by Zuckerberg, to focus on a “fair use” strategy. The lawsuit lists specific works, including Turow’s “Presumed Innocent,” as examples of the alleged copyright infringement. Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger calls it a significant breach of copyright law, emphasizing the need for accountability. The case could involve many authors whose works were used without consent. QUESTION: How might the outcome of this lawsuit influence the future development and use of AI technologies?