Meta Platforms Used Pirated Books to Train AI, Authors Allege
A group of authors, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sarah Silverman, have accused Meta Platforms of using pirated versions of copyrighted books to train its artificial intelligence systems. According to newly disclosed court papers, the company knew the works were pirated, and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved the use of the pirated dataset.
The authors, who are suing Meta for copyright infringement, claim that internal documents produced by Meta during the discovery process show that the company used the AI training dataset LibGen, which allegedly includes millions of pirated works. They also claim that Meta distributed the dataset through peer-to-peer torrents.
The authors are seeking permission to file an updated complaint, arguing that the new evidence bolsters their infringement claims and justifies reviving their claims that Meta unlawfully stripped their books’ copyright management information (CMI). They are also seeking to add a new computer fraud claim.
A US District Judge has allowed the authors to file an amended complaint, but expressed skepticism about the merits of the fraud and CMI claims. Meta has not commented on the allegations.