Authors Launch Class Action Against Salesforce Over AI Training Data

Cloud-computing company Salesforce is facing a proposed class action lawsuit filed by authors Molly Tanzer and Jennifer Gilmore. The lawsuit, submitted on March 6, 2024, claims that Salesforce unlawfully used thousands of books without authorization to train its artificial intelligence software, specifically the xGen AI models designed for language processing.

The complaint asserts that the authors’ copyrights were infringed upon as their works were allegedly incorporated into the training data for Salesforce’s AI systems. A spokesperson for Salesforce declined to provide a comment regarding the lawsuit on March 7, 2024.

Joseph Saveri, the attorney representing Tanzer and Gilmore, emphasized the importance of transparency for companies using copyrighted material in their AI products. He stated, “It’s also only fair that our clients are fairly compensated when this happens.” This sentiment reflects a growing concern within the literary community regarding the use of creative works without proper compensation.

The lawsuit highlights a broader trend, as numerous authors, news outlets, and content creators have initiated legal actions against major technology firms, including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms. These entities are accused of misappropriating material for AI training purposes. Notably, in August 2023, Anthropic reached a landmark settlement worth $1.5 billion with a different group of authors over similar copyright infringement claims.

In their filing, Tanzer and Gilmore alleged that Salesforce utilized thousands of pirated books written by them and other authors to develop its xGen AI. The complaint also references Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who has publicly criticized AI companies for relying on what he termed “stolen” training data. Benioff has stated that compensating content creators for their work would be “very easy to do.”

The authors’ complaint argues that if Benioff recognizes the need for fair compensation, then Salesforce should also adhere to this principle. The lawsuit seeks accountability from Salesforce for its alleged misuse of intellectual property belonging to the plaintiffs and others in the literary community.

As the legal landscape surrounding AI and copyright continues to evolve, the outcome of this case could have significant implications for both technology companies and content creators. The growing number of lawsuits highlights the urgent need for clarity in how AI systems are developed and the ethical considerations involved in utilizing copyrighted materials.