New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger has invested upwards of $20 million in a single legal fight against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement over the use of Times journalism to train AI models. For Sulzberger, according to an interview with WIRED, the cost is simply the price of defending journalism at the Times and everywhere else.
The Legal Battle: NYT vs. OpenAI and Microsoft
Nearly three years ago, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. The company alleges that the AI firms illegally used New York Times journalism to train their models. As of late July 2026, motions were still being filed about discovery requests. Sulzberger described the lawsuit as one front in a broader battle for the survival of journalism.
Broader Threats to Press Freedom
Beyond AI, Sulzberger pointed to an ongoing war on press freedoms by the Trump administration. The Justice Department issued subpoenas to several Times journalists over their reporting on a Qatar-gifted jet intended for use as Air Force One — a donation worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The subpoenas also targeted third-party phone service providers for journalists' call and text records. Sulzberger called this the biggest effort to go after the press from a White House since Woodrow Wilson, over a century ago.
Despite these pressures, the Times business has never been stronger, surpassing 13 million subscribers. Its newsroom is widely regarded as one of the most stable and well-resourced in journalism.
The Three Existential Dilemmas
Sulzberger identified three existential threats to journalism:
| Threat | Description |
|---|---|
| Hostile administration | The Trump administration is willing to target reporters with subpoenas and intimidation. |
| AI companies | AI firms depend on the very reporting they risk undermining by using it without permission or compensation. |
| Media companies | Media companies are being demolished by the changes they themselves are unleashing on the open web. |
"It's the cost of defending journalism—at the Times and everywhere else." — A.G. Sulzberger
Implications for Technology Leaders
For enterprise technology decision-makers, the Times lawsuit highlights the growing legal and financial risks of using copyrighted content to train AI models. The case could set a precedent for how AI companies source training data and compensate content creators. As Sulzberger noted, AI companies are radically reshaping how people find and consume information online — a shift that carries direct implications for any organisation deploying generative AI in its products or supply chain. While the Times focuses on journalism, the principles at stake — copyright, fair use, and data provenance — are universal. Technology procurement leaders should monitor this case closely, as its outcome may influence licensing agreements, indemnification clauses, and risk management strategies for AI adoption across industries.
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