In part of the deal, OpenAI agreed to license content from some of Hearst's iconic publications, such as Esquire and Cosmopolitan, Elle, and more than 40 newspapers.
The content will be embedded in ChatGPT, providing users with access to professionally curated journalism all through the platform. Crucially, the content will also carry proper attribution so that people can find the original sources easily.
Jeff Johnson, President of Hearst Newspapers, concurred that professional journalism must be part of AI products. "As generative AI matures, it is essential that journalism produced by professional journalists sits at the heart of all AI products," he said. He added that this collaboration will enable "trustworthy and curated content" from the "star staff journalists" of Hearst. This will make ChatGPT’s responses timelier and more relevant to users.
The partnership between the company and Hearst falls under a more comprehensive plan of OpenAI in establishing licensing agreements with different publishers.
OpenAI has partnered with Condé Nast, News Corp, and Time magazine, among others, to ensure that users receive credible and updated information. OpenAI is also committed to providing its users with news summaries that include proper attribution, strengthening its commitment to responsible content usage.
Despite the company's boasts of cooperation with giant media houses, not all of them have opened their gates to OpenAI. The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the startup in December 2018, alleging that it has been using its copyrighted articles without permission to develop its technology. OpenAI responded to the allegations and said that the New York Times is not giving the full picture of its content usage. This is not the first time the company has faced issues with its shifting AI ethics, OpenAI got in trouble with Elon Musk for shifting company policies.
Thus, it remains to be seen if this new partnership will be loved by OpenAI’s fans or if will it end up landing the company in further legal trouble.