The New York Times Licenses Its Content to Amazon for AI Use

Since last year, we’ve been hearing about publishers quietly making deals with AI companies. The Associated Press signed one with OpenAI. Axel Springer followed, bringing Politico and Business Insider into the mix. Dotdash Meredith also inked a deal. Now, The New York Times (NYT) has joined the list—but with Amazon, not OpenAI.

This is NYT’s first-ever AI licensing deal

The New York Times confirmed it has agreed to license its content to Amazon for use across Alexa and other AI platforms. That includes its main reporting, opinion pieces, NYT Cooking content, and even The Athletic’s sports coverage. Amazon is also allowed to use it for training AI models.

Speaking about the deal with employees, CEO Meredith Kopit Levien, told:

The deal is consistent with our long-held principle that high-quality journalism is worth paying for. It aligns with our deliberate approach to ensuring that our work is valued appropriately, whether through commercial deals or through the enforcement of our intellectual property rights

This is the first time The New York Times has permitted its content to be used for generative AI. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

OpenAI and Microsoft were previously sued

Not to forget, the publishing agency is still suing OpenAI and Microsoft. Back in December 2023, the NYT filed a copyright lawsuit against both companies. It accused them of using paywalled articles without permission. OpenAI admitted to doing so.

Microsoft tried to argue that it should be legal. The case hasn’t been resolved yet, and a judge refused to dismiss it in March, so it’s headed to trial unless there’s a settlement.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s deal with The New York Times looks like a safer, cleaner way forward for AI partnerships. It gives Amazon fresh, premium content. And it gives the Times more control—something it’s been fighting hard to protect.