Wikipedia’s operator says a bad AI copyright ruling could threaten the open web

The Wikimedia Foundation has filed an amicus brief in a landmark AI copyright case, arguing that training large language models (LLMs) on copyrighted work should be considered fair use, but regurgitating articles to users should not. This middle ground position aims to avoid an overly black-and-white ruling that could either deprive Wikipedians of useful AI-based tools or endanger the open web. The foundation is concerned that a victory for either side could have negative consequences, such as publishers being able to control even transformative uses of their work or AI companies being able to ignore licensing terms and fragment the flow of knowledge.