OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Plans India Visit as AI Copyright Battle Intensifies

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to visit India next week at a time when his company is facing legal challenges in the country. According to a report by news agency Reuters, citing three unnamed sources, Altman is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on February 5, 2025. His visit may include meetings with government officials, although the final schedule is yet to be confirmed and may change.

This could be Altman’s first visit to India in two years, with his last trip being in 2023, when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. During that visit, they discussed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in strengthening India's technology ecosystem.

Altman’s trip comes amid a major legal battle for OpenAI. Last year, Indian news agency ANI filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging copyright violations. ANI accused the AI giant of using its news articles to train AI models without providing any compensation. The lawsuit was filed in a New Delhi court, challenging OpenAI’s data usage practices.

ANI is not alone in this legal fight—several book publishers and nearly a dozen digital media outlets, including Hindustan Times, have also joined the case against OpenAI.

This legal battle is significant as India is OpenAI’s second-largest market in terms of users, after the United States. The country’s growing AI adoption and user base make it a crucial region for the company’s expansion.

OpenAI is also battling legal challenges in the U.S., where major news organizations like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, and Orange County Register have sued the company for copyright violations.

In response, OpenAI has defended its practices, stating that it only uses publicly available data within the principles of "fair use." The company has also argued that Indian courts lack jurisdiction over this matter.

OpenAI’s challenges are not limited to legal disputes. The company is also facing fierce competition from Chinese AI rival DeepSeek, which recently overtook ChatGPT to become the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.S. This development triggered a global selloff in tech stocks, adding pressure on OpenAI.

With legal battles mounting and AI competition growing, Sam Altman’s visit to India is expected to be crucial. Industry experts and policymakers will closely watch his engagements to see how OpenAI navigates these challenges in one of its most important markets.