NYT Publisher on $20M AI Copyright Fight and Press Freedom
Original: Can the New York Times Save Journalism From Our AI Overlords?
Why This Matters
The NYT lawsuit sets a precedent for how legacy media may seek compensation from AI firms over training data use.
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger confirmed the paper has spent over $20 million on its copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, filed in 2023. In a July 2026 interview with WIRED, Sulzberger defended the ongoing legal battle and addressed escalating press freedom threats from the Trump administration, including DOJ subpoenas targeting Times journalists covering the Qatar-gifted Air Force One jet.
In a wide-ranging interview published by WIRED on July 28, 2026, New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger outlined the paper's multi-front battle against what he described as existential threats to journalism. The Times filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft in 2023, alleging the companies illegally used Times journalism to train AI models. Sulzberger confirmed the paper has spent more than $20 million on the case, with motions over discovery requests still being filed. He framed the expenditure as a necessary defense of journalism broadly, not just the Times. On the press freedom front, Sulzberger addressed recent DOJ subpoenas issued to multiple Times journalists regarding their reporting on the Qatar-gifted jet intended for use as Air Force One. He noted that third-party phone service providers were also subpoenaed to obtain journalists' text messages and calls, calling it 'the biggest effort to go after' the press in generations. Despite these pressures, Sulzberger noted the Times has surpassed 13 million subscribers and remains financially strong. He also discussed AI's dual role inside the newsroom — as both a tool for reporting and a threat to journalism's business model — and called for media executives and journalists to collaborate in response to industry-wide disruption.