OpenAI is set to pay German publisher Axel Springer to use its news articles to train AI models and display real-time information from Axel Springer’s brands, including Business Insider, Politico, Bild, and Welt, in ChatGPT’s responses. The actual value of the deal has not been disclosed, but according to Bloomberg, OpenAI will pay Axel Springer tens of millions of euros over three years.
OpenAI’s chief operating officer Brad Lightcap expressed that the partnership with Axel Springer will offer new ways for people to access quality, real-time news content through AI tools. The aim is to ensure that publishers and creators around the world benefit from advanced AI technology and new revenue models.
This partnership comes amid concerns from creators, authors, and publishers about generative AI companies using their content without consent or compensation. Some publishers have restricted OpenAI from accessing their data, but striking deals with these companies could provide a new revenue source for publishers during a challenging time for the media business.
Under the deal, Axel Springer will provide current news articles and archives from all its brands to train large language models, which power ChatGPT. When ChatGPT uses Axel Springer’s articles in its responses, it will include attribution and links for transparency. Axel Springer will also be able to utilize OpenAI’s technology to enhance its own products, such as The Wall Street Journal.
This isn’t the first time OpenAI has partnered with a news publisher. The company recently entered a two-year partnership with The Associated Press to use select content from the AP’s archives dating back to 1985 to train its AI models. OpenAI also established a $5 million partnership with the American Journalism Project to explore how local news organizations can benefit from artificial intelligence.
