Sulzberger Accuses AI of ‘Shameless Theft’, Urges Global News Industry to Unite
The New York Times publisher delivered a sharp rebuke to tech firms for ‘unprecedented’ intellectual property theft, warning of a future with fewer journalists.
The publisher of The New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger, launched a blistering attack on artificial intelligence companies on Monday, accusing them of “shameless theft of intellectual property” at an unprecedented scale. Speaking at the opening of the 77th World Congress of News Editors (WAN-IFRA) in Marseille, France, Sulzberger told a gathering of global media leaders that generative AI products are built upon “the original sin” of mass appropriation of publishers’ content without permission or payment. The remarks, which drew swift attention from newsrooms across Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, frame AI’s parasitic relationship with journalism as an existential threat to original reporting.
Sulzberger likened the behaviour of AI firms to the Napster-era piracy that devastated the music industry before licensed streaming services restored value. “Unlike the streaming sector, which compensates cultural producers, AI companies have adopted a parasitic posture,” he said, singling out tech giants including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and Meta. He cautioned that the profession had been “too discreet, too passive and too divided” in the face of these abuses, and warned that the trend pointed towards a world with “fewer journalists doing the costly and difficult work of original reporting.”
The speech resonated across diverse media ecosystems. Latin American outlets focused on the language of “robbery without scruples,” while Arab-language coverage underscored his alarm over the hijacking of public information spaces. In China, commentators noted Sulzberger’s pre-emptive rebuttal of accusations that he was simply defending legacy interests: “Some tech leaders think my remarks are anti-AI, that I’m just another rigid institution obstructing innovation,” he acknowledged, before insisting that the Times itself uses AI ethically and that the technology is not inherently malign. This nuanced position—criticising parasitic models while embracing responsible deployment—has been central to his effort to rally an industry that long struggled to mount a collective response.
The Marseille address arrives amid the Times’ high-stakes legal battle against OpenAI and Microsoft, which it accuses of copyright infringement on a massive scale. Sulzberger’s rhetoric draws a deliberate parallel with the music industry’s eventual victory over file-sharing networks, implying that a similar reckoning is overdue for news. Yet the path to remuneration remains uncertain: while the European Union has created a neighbouring right for press publishers, the United States lacks comparable legislation, leaving lawsuits as the primary lever. Viewed from London and Brussels, where regulatory frameworks are more advanced, the speech may accelerate transatlantic pressure on lawmakers to force tech companies to the negotiating table.
Looking ahead, the congress is likely to be remembered as a moment when global publishers began to coordinate their demands more visibly. Sulzberger’s call to action—delivered not as a luddite plea but as a defence of the viability of creative work—poses an uncomfortable question for societies: whether the public’s access to trustworthy news can survive a period of unchecked AI extraction. As he warned, “The original sin that drives AI products is the shameless theft of intellectual property, and it is happening at an unprecedented scale.” The answer will depend on whether the news industry can, this time, avoid being too passive.
How the same story is told elsewhere.
The New York Times publisher paints a dire picture in which AI companies are looting media intellectual property, an unprecedented assault comparable to the Napster era. The charge of parasitism is delivered as a moral call to arms, warning that professional reporting risks extinction unless news organizations join forces. The speech frames the press as a victim of brazen AI exploitation and urges a collective fightback.
The New York Times publisher accuses AI firms of intellectual property theft, a speech that receives measured coverage in the regional press. While the warning about a future with fewer journalists is noted, the reporting keeps a degree of detachment, treating the speech as one important voice among many at the global editors' gathering. The framing reflects cautious scepticism about the full scale of the alleged infringement.
The New York Times publisher's scathing critique of AI firms marks a watershed in the protracted copyright fight between newsrooms and Big Tech. The speech in Marseille blends an existential warning for journalism with a coordinated push for bargaining power, urging publishers to demand licensing deals. The battle is reframed as a critical test for intellectual property law, with courts poised to rule on whether scraping constitutes theft or fair use.
As a liberal US newspaper publisher bemoans alleged AI theft, Russian commentary notes the irony of a Western establishment outlet suddenly appealing for protection. The complaint is cast as panic from a legacy media system losing its grip and trying to rein in technological progress. The incident is used to highlight perceived double standards on intellectual property and digital sovereignty.
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