French Publishers and Authors Sue Meta for Alleged Copyright Infringement in AI Training

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France’s leading publishing and authors’ associations have filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the U.S. tech giant of using copyrighted content without permission to train its artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The lawsuit was filed earlier this week in a Paris court, with the plaintiffs alleging copyright infringement and economic “parasitism.”

The groups behind the lawsuit include the National Publishing Union (SNE), the National Union of Authors and Composers (SNAC), and the Society of Men of Letters (SGDL), which represent authors and publishers in France. They argue that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has been illegally using copyright-protected material to enhance its AI models.

Maia Bensimon, general delegate of SNAC, described the actions as a form of “monumental looting.” Renaud Lefebvre, Director General of SNE, referred to the lawsuit as “David versus Goliath,” emphasizing that the legal action aims to set a precedent for the protection of copyright in the face of rapidly advancing AI technologies.

This lawsuit marks the first of its kind in France against an AI giant, though similar legal actions are already underway in other countries, particularly in the United States. In 2023, Sarah Silverman, an American actress and author, along with other plaintiffs, sued Meta for allegedly misusing their works to train its Llama language model. Other authors, including Christopher Farnsworth, have also filed lawsuits against Meta for similar claims.

In addition to Meta, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, faces similar copyright lawsuits in the United States, Canada, and India over the data used to train its generative AI systems.

Niantic Sells Game Division to Saudi-Owned Scopely for $3.5 Billion Amid Shift to Geospatial Tech

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Niantic Labs, the maker of the highly successful “Pokémon Go”, announced on Wednesday that it would sell its video game division to Saudi Arabia-owned Scopely for $3.5 billion. This move marks a significant shift for Niantic, which will now focus on geospatial technology after failing to replicate the overwhelming success of its 2016 mobile game hit.

The sale is part of a broader strategy by Saudi Arabia to bolster its gaming sector. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, through Savvy Games, had already acquired Scopely for $4.9 billion in 2023, as part of its effort to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels. The transaction will advance Saudi Arabia’s ambitions of becoming the “ultimate global hub” for the gaming industry.

In addition to the sale, Niantic will distribute an extra $350 million to its equity holders. Furthermore, the company will spin off its geospatial AI business into a new entity, Niantic Spatial, led by Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke. Niantic Spatial will be funded with $250 million, of which $200 million will come from Niantic’s balance sheet and $50 million from Scopely. Niantic’s original investors will continue to hold shares in Niantic Spatial.

This strategic shift follows several challenging years for Niantic. After the phenomenal success of “Pokémon Go”, the company struggled to replicate that magic with other titles, including the “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” game, which was shut down in 2022. Niantic also had to make layoffs in 2022 and 2023, further signaling the company’s struggles.

For Saudi Arabia, the deal aligns with its plan to invest nearly $38 billion in the global gaming industry through Savvy Games Group, which is already a significant investor in major video game companies, including a 7.54% stake in Nintendo.

OpenAI Unveils New Developer Tools Amid Growing Competition from Chinese AI Startups

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OpenAI launched a suite of new tools for developers on Tuesday, designed to help build advanced AI agents using a few key application programming interfaces (APIs). These tools come at a time of increasing competition from emerging Chinese AI startups, which are gaining ground with innovative solutions and low-cost alternatives to industry leaders in the United States.

The new Responses API is a core feature of the update, available to all developers at no additional cost. It replaces the previous Assistants API, which OpenAI plans to phase out by mid-2026. The Responses API offers enhanced capabilities for creating AI agents, which are designed to perform complex, real-world tasks independently of direct human intervention.

This release comes as Chinese AI startups like Monica have gained significant attention. Monica’s autonomous AI agent, Manus, which was launched recently, has been touted as being on par with or even superior to OpenAI’s DeepResearch agent in terms of performance. The company’s Manus AI has attracted praise for its ability to carry out tasks with minimal human involvement, which has generated significant buzz in the AI space.

Additionally, Monica has announced a strategic partnership with the team behind Alibaba’s Qwen AI models, marking another significant move in the growing competition between Chinese startups and established players like OpenAI. This partnership could further accelerate the development and capabilities of AI agents, pushing the industry forward.

As AI technology evolves rapidly, OpenAI’s release of the Responses API underscores its ongoing effort to stay ahead in the competitive landscape, offering developers more powerful tools to create innovative AI solutions. However, as Chinese startups continue to make strides, the battle for dominance in the AI space is heating up.