OpenAI, Microsoft Warned of 'Doom Loop' in Court Documents

The New York Times has unsealed court documents that detail the lawsuit it has filed against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the companies’ data‑scraping practices for training artificial‑intelligence models constitute a “doom loop” that could harm the web. The documents include internal communications that label the scraping as the “largest theft of labor in human history” and claim it amounts to a “complete mockery of the idea of fair use.” Key statements in the filings are attributed to Microsoft’s Director of Applied Science, Brent Hecht, whose remarks have drawn particular attention.

Microsoft has publicly distanced itself from Hecht’s assertions. In a statement to The Verge, spokesperson Alex Haurek said the comments were not representative of the company’s position and that Microsoft remains committed to responsible AI development. The company’s response comes as the lawsuit seeks to hold both firms accountable for the alleged misuse of copyrighted material in the training of large language models. The case is still pending, and the outcome could set significant precedents for data usage and intellectual‑property rights in the tech industry.