OpenAI, Google push for access to copyrighted data to stay ahead of China

WASHINGTON DC: With tech giants OpenAI and Google arrayed against the US government, a new debate unfolds in Washington about expanding access to copyrighted material for AI.

Both companies have offered detailed proposals articulating their respective positions. OpenAI argued that fair-use protections for AI are essential for national security.

OpenAI fears that restricting access to copyrighted content risks giving a technological edge to China, especially with the rise of Chinese AI developer DeepSeek.

OpenAI warns that Chinese AIs will likely have total access to data, copyrighted included, that will improve their models and put them at an advantage over American companies.

In echoing OpenAI’s views, Google has also come forth in support of lessened copyright restrictions, underscoring the claim that current policies could be getting in the way of gaining access to important data for the training of sophisticated AI models.

Google has argued that fair use doctrines and exemptions opened the doors wide for AI models to train on publicly accessible data.

Such submissions respond to a White House initiative under the “AI Action Plan” by President Donald Trump, which aims at solidifying America’s technology lead in AI while not permitting constraining regulations from halting innovation.

The initiative has requested inputs from several areas including government agencies, industry groups, and private organizations.