OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence firm, has informed an Indian court that removing training data from its ChatGPT service would violate its legal obligations under U.S. law. This response comes amid a lawsuit filed by Indian news agency ANI, which has accused OpenAI of using its content without permission to train its AI models.
In an 86-page filing submitted to the Delhi High Court on January 10, OpenAI argued that it is not under Indian jurisdiction as the company has no presence in the country. Furthermore, the AI firm stated that any directive to delete ANI’s data from ChatGPT would conflict with its obligations in the United States.
This case marks one of the most high-profile legal battles in India concerning the use of AI and copyrighted content. ANI filed the lawsuit in November, claiming OpenAI had unlawfully utilized its published content to train ChatGPT and sought the deletion of its data from the system.
During a November hearing, OpenAI assured the court that it would refrain from using ANI’s content in the future. However, ANI maintained that its works had already been incorporated into ChatGPT’s memory and should be removed.
OpenAI has faced similar lawsuits globally, including one by The New York Times in the United States, alleging unauthorized use of copyrighted material. The company has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that its AI systems rely on fair use of publicly available data for training purposes.
The case highlights the growing tension between AI companies and copyright holders as the legal landscape around AI usage and intellectual property evolves worldwide.