Hearst has become the latest major U.S. publisher to sign a deal to license its content to ChatGPT creator OpenAI. As part of the partnership announced Tuesday, content from more than 60 publications owned by Hearst will appear in ChatGPT and other OpenAI products. Some of the publisher’s notable properties include Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Elle. It also owns newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle.
When Hearst’s content appears in ChatGPT, the software will provide citations and direct links. The organizations did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.
Unlike the partnership OpenAI signed with Dotdash Meredith in May, its deal with Hearst does not include plans for the two firms to collaborate on advertising technology. “As generative AI matures, it’s critical that journalism created by professional journalists be at the center of all AI products,” said Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst’s newspaper unit.
“This agreement allows trusted and curated content created by Hearst Newspapers’ award-winning journalists to become part of OpenAI’s products like ChatGPT – leading to more timely and relevant results.” The announcement comes less than a week after news broke that OpenAI recently raised a record-breaking $6.6 billion in new venture capital funding.
Through early 2024, OpenAI has signed licensing agreements with The Financial Times and Condé Nast, owner of publications like Vogue, The New Yorker and Wired. At the same time, not every publisher has been so eager to work with the AI giant.
Late last year, The New York Times sued OpenAI, with Alden Global Capital publications like The Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News later filing their own suits. China has given the strongest signal yet that it is willing to secure a deal that will keep TikTok running in the US.
The country previously claimed it would block any forced sale of the app, but said something different after President-elect Donald Trump indicated he was open to a 50-50 joint ownership of TikTok between US and Chinese interests.
“When it comes to actions such as operating businesses and acquisitions, we believe they should be decided independently by companies in accordance with market principles,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference. “If it involves Chinese companies, China’s laws and regulations should be followed.”
Mao said TikTok has “played a positive role in boosting US employment and consumption” and expressed the ministry’s hope that “the US will sincerely listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries.”