Ottawa Considers AI and Copyright Regulations Amid OpenAI Legal Battle

Canada's artificial intelligence minister is closely monitoring court cases in Canada and the U.S. to determine Ottawa's regulatory approach to AI. Some AI companies have claimed early wins in the U.S., with OpenAI now fighting an Ontario court's jurisdiction in a lawsuit by news publishers.

Evan Solomon's office plans to address copyright within Canada's broader AI regulatory approach, focusing on protecting cultural sovereignty and creators' involvement. There are no current plans for a standalone copyright bill as Solomon's office closely monitors ongoing court cases and market developments.

It's uncertain how long it will take for court cases to decide if AI companies can use copyrighted content to train their products. Canadian news organizations, including CBC, are suing OpenAI for using news content to train its AI system. The Ontario Superior Court is set to hear a jurisdictional challenge in September.

OpenAI denies the allegations, stating its models are trained on publicly available data and grounded in fair use principles. The company challenges the jurisdiction of the Ontario court, arguing it's not located in Ontario and does not conduct business there.

Several lawsuits involving AI systems and copyright are ongoing in the U.S., with some dating back to 2023. In late June, AI companies won victories in two cases. However, legal experts suggest that the outcomes may not be straightforward wins for the AI companies.