Source: The Asahi Shimbun

The Asahi Shimbun reports that the Japan Fair Trade Commission has officially launched a comprehensive investigation into generative artificial intelligence developers. The primary focus of this probe is the widespread use of copyrighted news articles as training data for large language models without explicit authorization or compensation. This regulatory action follows intensified complaints from media organizations claiming that AI-generated summaries are eroding traffic to original news sites and threatening the financial viability of journalism.

The commission intends to evaluate whether the dominant market power of tech giants like OpenAI and Google allows them to impose unfair terms on content creators. The investigation will also look into the potential for anti-competitive practices where AI platforms might prioritize their own generated content over primary sources. This initiative reflects a growing global movement to establish a fair value exchange between the AI industry and the media sector. By scrutinizing these data scraping practices, Japan aims to foster a sustainable digital ecosystem where innovation does not come at the expense of intellectual property rights.