Bipartisan Bill Targets Tech Companies for AI Copyright Theft

US Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for people to sue tech companies for pirating their data to train artificial intelligence models. The proposed AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act would bar AI companies from training on personal data or copyrighted works and provide for financial penalties and injunctive relief. The bill aims to address the "largest intellectual property theft in American history."

US Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at making it easier for individuals to sue tech companies for pirating their data to train artificial intelligence models. The proposed AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act seeks to address what Hawley termed "the largest intellectual property theft in American history."

The bill, introduced on July 22, 2025, would bar AI companies from training on personal data or copyrighted works without explicit consent. It would also require companies to disclose which third parties will have access to data if consent is granted, and provide for financial penalties and injunctive relief.

Hawley stated, "AI companies are robbing the American people blind while leaving artists, writers, and other creators with zero recourse. It’s time for Congress to give the American worker their day in court to protect their personal data and creative works." Blumenthal echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for legal recourse to hold tech companies accountable for privacy breaches.

The bill comes in response to recent lawsuits alleging that tech firms have used pirated material to train their AI models. For instance, Thomson Reuters successfully sued Ross Intelligence, claiming the company used Westlaw's copyrighted legal headnotes to build its AI research tool. Similarly, the New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that its articles were used without permission to train systems like GPT-4.

The proposed legislation is a response to growing concerns about the ethical and legal implications of AI data usage. It aims to provide individuals with a legal avenue to challenge the use of their personal data and copyrighted works in AI training, ensuring that creators and consumers are adequately protected.

References:
[1] https://nypost.com/2025/07/22/business/us-senators-introduce-bill-to-make-it-easier-to-sue-over-ai-pirating/
[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/17/tsmcs-second-quarter-profit-soars-nearly-61percent-as-ai-chip-demand-stays-strong-.html