Meta's AI Copyright Battle: Did Using Pirated Books to Train AI Cross the Line?

Meta faces a copyright lawsuit from authors including Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates over its AI tools. The judge is questioning whether Meta illegally used their books, obtained through 'shadow libraries,' to train its AI and whether this harms the authors' sales. Meta claims 'fair use,' but the judge suggests that significantly impacting or destroying the market for their work might invalidate this defense. This case will set a precedent for future AI copyright cases, hinging on proving actual harm to the authors' commercial prospects.