The New York Times has dragged Open AI and Microsoft to court after accusing the two companies of using its contents to train ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence systems without authorisation.

The newspaper on Wednesday filed a lawsuit at the District Court in Manhattan claiming that millions of its news articles served as training materials for multiple AI chatbots that were now rivalling the masthead to provide the public with information.

The suit indicated that OpenAI and Microsoft were “using The Times’ content without payment to create products that substitute for The Times and steal audiences away from it.”

It didn’t seek a specific amount for compensation but instead asked the court to hold the defendants responsible for “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages” over unapproved use of its content.

The newspaper first approached the two companies in April to express worries over the matter but discussions were at an impasse, which prompted the newspaper to approach the court as a last resort.

“If The Times and other news organisations cannot produce and protect their independent journalism, there will be a vacuum that no computer or artificial intelligence can fill,” reads the suit. “Less journalism will be produced, and the cost to society will be enormous.”

OpenAI spokesperson, Lindsey Held, said the legal action left her “surprised and disappointed” as she could not fathom why the newspaper would still head to court when discussions with them were “moving forward constructively.”

“We respect the rights of content creators and owners and are committed to working with them to ensure they benefit from A.I. technology and new revenue models,” The Times quoted Ms Held as saying in response to the suit. “We’re hopeful that we will find a mutually beneficial way to work together, as we are doing with many other publishers.”

Susman Godfrey and Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck would be representing the newspapers for the litigation.

Open AI has also been sued by prominent authors such as John Grisham and Jonathan Franzen who accused the chatbot of absorbing their books for training.