Unredacted filings: Microsoft executive called AI scraping "the largest theft of labor in human history"
Filings unsealed in the New York Times's copyright case against OpenAI and Microsoft show a Microsoft executive called AI scraping the largest theft of labor in human history. The NYT says OpenAI staff were aware of the "existential threat" to publishers.
Who is affected and how
- lawyer
- The unsealed filings offer a model for evidentiary strategy in AI copyright cases.
- corporate lawyer
- AI providers' internal communications carry litigation risk, so documentation and communication policies should be reviewed.
Sources
- Microsoft exec called AI scraping ‘the largest theft of labor in human history,' new unredacted filings revealtechcrunch.com · Oct 10, 2026
- AI scraping is theft, admits a Microsoft exectechbrew.com · Oct 10, 2026
- AI Exec: We May Have Pulled Off “The Largest Theft of Labor in Human History”motherjones.com · Oct 10, 2026
- It’s the "largest theft of labor in human history." Insurers are backing awayinsurancebusinessmag.com · Oct 10, 2026
- Microsoft executive reportedly says AI models are built on theftqubit.hu · Oct 10, 2026 · magyar
- A Microsoft executive says OpenAI is responsible for “the biggest theft of work in human history”pcwplus.hu · Oct 10, 2026 · magyar
- According to the NYT, even Microsoft called AI training unprecedented theftbitport.hu · Oct 10, 2026 · magyar
- OpenAI staff knew the ‘existential threat’ AI posed to publishers, New York Times claimsft.com · Oct 10, 2026
Machine-generated summary based on the titles and excerpts of the source articles. The source article is the authority for the facts. News monitoring, not legal advice.