(MENAFN) A Japanese news organization has formally protested against a US-based artificial intelligence company over the alleged “unauthorized” use of its articles, demanding immediate compensation, as stated by reports.

In a letter sent to the California-headquartered startup, the agency’s president stated that the AI firm must “immediately” cease using content published on its 47 News platform and provide reparations for the “damages” caused. The letter warned that legal action would follow if the demands were ignored. No official response from the AI company has been reported so far.

The correspondence claims, “Kyodo News has confirmed that its distributed articles are being reproduced and used by PAI without any permission, and that PAI has repeatedly accessed the website titled '47 NEWS' which features articles created by Kyodo News hundreds of thousands of times over a period of approximately one year starting in August 2024.”

The agency also highlighted concerns about accuracy, asserting that the AI platform “displays generated content containing errors while citing Kyodo News' name and articles, which significantly damages the trust and brand value” of the news service. The letter further contends that the company’s activities infringe on its reproduction rights and constitute “unfair competition” as outlined in Japanese law.

The statement criticized the startup for taking advantage of the articles without paying any license fees or royalties, calling the practice “absolutely unacceptable.” It added, “this unrestrained copyright infringement will destroy the accurate and sound reporting that serves as the foundation of democracy.”

The dispute underscores growing tensions between traditional media organizations and AI developers over intellectual property, accuracy, and the ethics of using journalistic content to train and generate AI outputs.

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