Exclusive: Time strikes licensing deal with OpenAI
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Time has struck a multiyear content licensing deal and strategic partnership with OpenAI, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The deal with the Microsoft-backed parent of ChatGPT is part of a broader effort by Time to expand access to its content to younger and more diverse audiences globally.
- The company removed its digital paywall last year, citing that same reason.
Driving the news: The deal gives OpenAI access to Time's archives from the last 101 years to train its large language models and use for responses to user queries in its consumer-facing products, such as ChatGPT, according to a statement Time provided to Axios.
- It also gives the AI giant access to Time's real-time content to help answer user queries as news unfolds.
- Under the agreement, OpenAI will cite Time in its responses to user queries and will link back to the original content source on Time.com, Time said.
Between the lines: The deal also gives Time access to OpenAI's tech and tools to develop new products for its audience.
- Time said it will share feedback and practical applications to help bolster the use and delivery of journalism in OpenAI's products and in future AI-driven news experiences.
- Financial terms weren't disclosed, but previous deals that OpenAI has struck have been structured to include compensation for publishers.
What they're saying: Time chief operating officer Mark Howard said in the statement that the partnership "advances our mission to expand access to trusted information globally."
- OpenAI chief operating officer Brad Lightcap said the partnership supports "reputable journalism by providing proper attribution to original sources."
State of play: It's the latest agreement that OpenAI has struck with a publisher.
- Last month, it reached a deal with the Atlantic and Vox Media.
- Wall Street Journal parent News Corp. also struck a licensing deal with OpenAI in May.
- Several of the agreements struck by OpenAI with publishers in the past few months have been with older companies that house extensive archives, including the Atlantic and Associated Press.
The big picture: More major news companies are opting to forge partnerships with OpenAI rather than pursue litigation, for different reasons.
- The New York Times and several major regional newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital have sued OpenAI for copyright infringement.
- OpenAI disputed the Times' allegations in a legal filing earlier this year, and the suit is still pending.
Go deeper: Exclusive: OpenAI funds new journalism ethics initiative
