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Naver Faces Lawsuit Over AI Training Using News Content; 'If AI Learning Was Predicted, Why Not Beat ChatGPT?'

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Naver's CEO was questioned about why the company didn't become the world's top AI firm if it had focused on generative AI training earlier.
  • The core legal dispute revolves around whether Naver informed media partners about generative AI training when news content agreements were signed in 2018.
  • The court noted that the term 'generative AI' was likely not explicitly mentioned in the contracts, casting doubt on Naver's claim that media partners could have anticipated such use.

A legal battle is underway as three major broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS) sue Naver for alleged unauthorized use of their news content to train generative AI models. The broadcasters seek 700 million won in damages and an injunction against further AI training.

If Naver had awakened to generative AI back in 2018 when it signed news affiliation agreements, shouldn't it have become the world's No. 1 company, surpassing ChatGPT?

— Broadcasters' legal representativeQuestioning Naver's preparedness and foresight regarding AI development.

The central issue in the first witness hearing at the Seoul Central District Court was whether Naver had disclosed its intention to use news content for generative AI training when it signed partnership agreements with media outlets in 2018. Naver's defense hinges on the argument that the existence of earlier AI services, such as AI-powered speakers, should have alerted media partners to the possibility of AI learning from news content.

Weren't the broadcasters also broadcasting and extensively reporting on the Lee Sedol-AlphaGo Go match in March 2016?

— Naver's legal representativeDrawing parallels to past AI advancements and media coverage.

Naver's legal team pointed to services like the "Clova" speaker, launched a decade prior, as evidence of their long-standing engagement with AI platforms and natural language processing. They argued that the broader advancements in AI and machine learning globally since 2016 implied that AI's use of news was a foreseeable development.

The Clova speaker, launched 10 years ago, was an 'AI platform.'

— Yeom, Naver News Affiliation Team ManagerDescribing earlier AI services as evidence of Naver's AI focus.

However, the broadcasters countered that services like the Clova speaker were fundamentally different from generative AI like ChatGPT, which emerged in late 2022. They questioned whether Naver itself could have predicted generative AI's capabilities back in 2018. The court's preliminary assessment suggested that explicit mention of "large language models," "generative AI," or "training" in the context of AI learning was unlikely during the contract negotiations, further complicating Naver's position.

It seems unlikely that the point 'can be learned by generative AI models' was mentioned or explained in relation to the news affiliation conditions.

— JudgePreliminary assessment of the contract terms regarding AI training.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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