A newspaper conglomerate representing MediaNews and Tribune Publishing, both majority-owned by Alden Global Capital, has issued a strong rebuke against OpenAI's recent proposals for AI regulation in the United States. The criticism appeared in over 60 daily newspapers.

The controversy centers on OpenAI's 15-page response to the government's "AI Action Plan," where the company argued for relaxed copyright rules for AI training, positioning it as crucial for maintaining competitive advantage against countries like China. OpenAI claimed that "rigid copyright rules are repressing innovation and investment" in other markets.

The newspaper conglomerate strongly disputed this position, stating that "gutting generations of copyright protections for the benefit of AI bots would have a chilling effect not just on news organizations but on all creative content creators." They emphasized that fairly compensating rightsholders "is the right, just and American thing to do."

Key Points of Contention:

• OpenAI argues that training on copyrighted materials constitutes fair use
• AI companies are seeking government exceptions for training on protected works
• The newspaper group calls for protecting artists' rights and fair compensation
• Current AI training processes use protected works without rightsholder permission

While the music industry largely opposes unauthorized AI training on copyrighted materials, the legal status remains uncertain. The challenge of protecting intellectual property rights in AI development continues to grow, especially given the varying international regulations and AI's rapid evolution.

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