Seoul: South Korea's three major terrestrial broadcasters are suing OpenAI, the developer of AI chatbot ChatGPT, over copyright infringement, according to a statement from the Korean Broadcasters Association on Monday. The broadcasters - KBS, MBC, and SBS - allege that OpenAI used their content to train ChatGPT without obtaining the necessary permissions.

According to Anadolu Agency, the broadcasters aim to hold OpenAI legally accountable for what they describe as intellectual property infringement. They assert that OpenAI was aware of existing paid licensing agreements with media outlets for the use of content. Despite this, they claim that OpenAI declined to engage in negotiations, opting instead for a discriminatory copyright policy.

The broadcasters highlighted the challenges faced by individual domestic creators and copyright holders in pursuing legal action against large global tech companies due to high litigation costs and the burden of proof. They emphasized that the lawsuit is intended to protect the rights of creators and copyright holders and to ensure fair compensation is provided.

Additionally, the broadcasters underscored the importance of this lawsuit as a matter of South Korea's data sovereignty. Notably, this lawsuit is the first filed by the three broadcasters against a global AI company.