Wikipedia’s operator says a bad AI copyright ruling could threaten the open web

In an amicus brief filed Friday, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia weighed in on a set of lawsuits pitting publishers including The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft, taking neither side. “Wikimedia is concerned that the parties’ positions in this case push for overbroad and simplified applications of the fair use doctrine” around AI, the organization says in its legal filing. A nuance-free victory for publishers, it fears, could let copyright holders “gatekeep” even innovative and transformative uses of their work. On the other hand, a victory for AI companies could constitute “a green light to snub licensing terms and fragment the flow of knowledge between human authors and audiences.”