Catégorie oBox : BuzzNews

A massive lawsuit has been filed against Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, accusing the company of knowingly using illegal copies of books and journal articles to train its artificial intelligence program, Llama. The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Zuckerberg personally played a direct role in encouraging the practices. According to the filing, «Zuckerberg himself personally authorized and actively encouraged the infringement.» The case marks one of the most significant legal challenges yet over how major technology companies source data for generative AI systems.

The lawsuit has been brought by a coalition of major publishers and authors, including Elsevier, Cengage Learning, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan Publishing Group, McGraw Hill, Scott Turow, and S.C.R.I.B.E., Inc. The plaintiffs are pursuing a class-action copyright infringement claim, arguing that Meta unlawfully reproduced and distributed copyrighted material. In the filing, they state the case is «for copyright infringement based on Defendants’ unauthorized reproduction and distribution of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works through Meta’s sourcing of content for, and development and training of, Meta’s generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) platform called Llama, as well as for removal of copyright management information (“CMI”).»

The complaint portrays Meta’s actions as part of a broader strategy to dominate the rapidly evolving AI sector, accusing the company of prioritizing speed over legality. «In their effort to win the AI “arms race” and build a functional generative AI model, Defendants Meta and Zuckerberg followed their well-known motto: “move fast and break Things.”» the lawsuit alleges. The phrase, long associated with Meta’s corporate culture, is presented by plaintiffs as evidence of a willingness to disregard legal boundaries in pursuit of technological advancement.

According to the filing, Meta’s data acquisition methods involved large-scale unauthorized downloading and copying of copyrighted works. The lawsuit claims «They first illegally torrented millions of copyrighted books and journal articles from notorious pirate sites and downloaded unauthorized web scrapes of virtually the entire internet.» It further alleges «They then copied those stolen fruits many times over to train Meta’s multi-billion-dollar generative AI system called Llama.» The plaintiffs describe the scope of the operation as «one of the most massive infringements of copyrighted materials in history.»

The complaint also emphasizes that these actions were carried out with full awareness of their legal implications. It states that the conduct occurred «without permission, without providing any compensation to authors or publishers, and with full knowledge that their conduct violated copyright law.» The case adds to a growing wave of litigation targeting technology companies over the use of copyrighted material in AI training, an issue that remains largely unsettled in U.S. courts and could have significant implications for the future of the industry.

Meta has pushed back against the allegations, signaling it intends to contest the case vigorously. In a statement to The New York Times, company spokesperson Dave Arnold said «We will fight this lawsuit aggressively.» He added that «courts have rightly found that training A.I. on copyrighted material can qualify as fair use.» The defense reflects a broader legal argument being advanced by several technology companies, which contend that the use of large datasets, including copyrighted material, is essential to the development of modern AI systems and can fall within existing legal frameworks.

As Republicans push toward securing $1 billion in public funding for Trump’s White House ballroom project, the president is highlighting what he describes as a financial success, despite earlier promises that the construction would rely entirely on private funding. The ballroom, which Trump began building during his second term after controversially ordering the demolition of the East Wing without congressional approval, was initially presented as a privately financed initiative. Now, as lawmakers consider allocating taxpayer money, Trump is using Truth Social to emphasize that the project is «Way Under Budget» while accusing «the Fake News» of misrepresenting its costs.

«The White House Ballroom is going up rapidly on the East side of the White House,» Trump wrote in a recent post, outlining the current state of construction. He added «The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations.» The president framed the expansion as a necessary adjustment, arguing that earlier plans underestimated the scale required for official functions and long-term use.

The ballroom project has seen multiple revisions in projected costs since its inception, contributing to growing scrutiny in Washington. Trump acknowledged that the original estimate stood at $200 million before increasing to $300 million and eventually nearing $400 million. «The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars,» he said, presenting the increase as a reflection of improved design rather than mismanagement. The shifting figures, however, have drawn criticism from lawmakers questioning the consistency of the administration’s financial planning.

At the same time, the administration has moved to secure public funding for the project, marking a significant shift from its initial commitment to avoid taxpayer involvement. The push intensified following political tensions tied to recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner events, with officials arguing that a new, larger venue is needed for security and logistical reasons. Congress is now considering a proposal that would allocate up to $1 billion for the ballroom and related infrastructure, raising concerns among critics about the use of federal funds for what was initially framed as a privately financed initiative.

Trump has sought to counter criticism by emphasizing construction progress and framing the project as both efficient and ahead of schedule. «It will be magnificent, safe, and secure!» he wrote, while also addressing public skepticism about the rising costs. He argued that negative perceptions are largely driven by media coverage, stating «This was a necessary change, it was done long ago, but the Fake News failed to report it, trying to make it look like there was a cost overrun. Actually, it is coming in ahead of schedule, and under budget!» The comments reflect a broader effort to control the narrative surrounding the project.

The debate over the ballroom highlights ongoing tensions between the administration and Congress over federal spending priorities, as well as broader questions about transparency and accountability in large-scale government projects. Supporters argue that the expansion addresses longstanding infrastructure limitations at the White House, while critics point to the evolving cost estimates and the shift toward public funding as key concerns. As lawmakers continue to weigh the proposal, the project remains a focal point in discussions about executive authority, fiscal responsibility, and the role of taxpayer money in presidential initiatives.

The pope has directly responded to accusations from Trump, who claimed that the head of the Catholic Church was «endangering a lot of Catholics» because of his opposition to the U.S. president’s actions that led to the war in Iran. The remarks came after a series of public attacks from Trump, who said «I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people. But I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.» The comments marked a further escalation in an already tense and highly public dispute between the two figures.

Speaking to journalists while leaving a papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Pope Leo XIV addressed the criticism directly, rejecting Trump’s claims and clarifying the Church’s position. «If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth: the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, there is no doubt about that.» he said. The pope’s response emphasized long-standing Catholic doctrine opposing nuclear arms, directly contradicting Trump’s assertion that he supported Iran obtaining such weapons.

The pope went further in outlining the role of the Church in global conflicts, stressing that his position was rooted in a broader mission rather than political alignment. «The mission of the church is to preach the gospel, to preach peace.» he said, before adding «I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of God’s word.» His remarks framed the dispute as one grounded in moral and theological principles, rather than geopolitical strategy, as he continued to advocate for de-escalation and dialogue amid the ongoing war.

The public exchange comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, as the Vatican prepares to host U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a private audience with the pope. Rubio acknowledged the significance of the meeting, stating there was «a lot to talk about with the Vatican». The visit is expected to address a range of issues, including the war in Iran and broader humanitarian concerns, as tensions between Washington and the Vatican continue to draw international attention.

Relations between Trump and Pope Leo XIV have steadily deteriorated over the past several months, evolving from policy disagreements into personal and ideological clashes. The friction began in November 2025 when the pope criticized U.S. deportation policies, saying migrants were being treated with «extreme disrespect» and urging the administration to «seek ways of treating people with humanity.» The divide deepened in April 2026 after U.S. airstrikes in Iran, which the pope condemned as an «exhibition of force» in a world he said was being «ravaged by a handful of tyrants.»

Trump responded at the time with direct attacks on social media, calling the pope «WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy.» By May, his rhetoric intensified further, claiming in a radio interview that «the Pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.» While the Vatican has stated that the pope «has no intention of debating» the president, Leo XIV has continued to use his platform to advocate for peace, maintaining a consistent message even as the political confrontation between the two leaders continues to escalate.