They took our work without pay or permission

A quiet threat from Big Tech could kill journalism. That’s why we’re going to fight like hell.   [Mother Jones]( Wow. This message I sent around earlier struck a chord with so many MoJo supporters. I was blown away by the response, so I’m emailing it again to make sure you’re in the loop too. —Monika   MoJo Reader, Did you see [either]( of [those two]( emails last week from David Corn, our Washington, DC Bureau Chief? He wrote that he’s worried about the media making the same dangerous mistakes it did in 2016 and 2020 when it comes to covering the race for the White House—particularly the normalizing of Donald Trump and treating him as a regular candidate. David also asked for your help in [making the most of a $50,000 digital matching gift]( that Mother Jones has been given this month, so that we can produce more of the fierce and forceful journalism needed to counter Trump’s unrelenting campaign of propaganda and disinformation in the weeks between now and Election Day. I’m writing to tell you about a worry of my own and another reason why Mother Jones is counting on your support so urgently at this moment: The existential threat that artificial intelligence poses for independent journalism. The other day, I asked ChatGPT—which one-third of Americans say they use to get information—a question about a major political story that happens to be close to home for Mother Jones. I asked: “What was the 47 percent issue about?” And here was its answer: The “47 percent story” refers to a controversial comment made by Mitt Romney, who was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election. In a private fundraising event that was secretly recorded and later leaked to the media, Romney stated that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on government support, believe they are victims entitled to benefits, and consequently, would vote for then-President Barack Obama. Accurate, sure, but with one glaring omission: any reference to Mother Jones, which uncovered and reported the story. The summary contained no links to our reporting. When I asked ChatGPT to “tell me more about what Romney said,” it provided a lot of additional detail and quotes, but still no reference to who first broke the story. In all, it took the AI less than two seconds to provide a thorough summary of the story. By contrast, it took David Corn months to get that scoop. He dug into Romney’s background in the hedge-fund world, found links to companies that exported American jobs to China, and eventually tracked down the secret video of a private fundraising event. Along with a team of colleagues, David verified the video’s authenticity, reported additional context, and wrote the story that changed the 2012 election. OpenAI didn’t do any work to report the “47 percent story.” They simply hoovered it up—along with many thousands of other Mother Jones stories—to train ChatGPT. And that’s not all. Not only did Open AI use our journalism without pay or permission, they also built the AI in such a way that would not tell users where that journalism comes from or who owns it. Our reporting is copyrighted, but you would never know it from ChatGPT. This is how tech companies have always operated: They build first, take what you want, and ask permission later. Or never, because rules are for suckers, right? It’s clear that very soon, the way most people get information, including news, will be through an interaction with AI. Reading articles, let alone perusing websites like MotherJones.com, will become a rare thing, much like listening to LPs or watching movies in a theater. With a giant robot poised to strangle the news industry, Mother Jones faced a choice: capitulate or fight for our rights. We’re fighters, and so this summer, we filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its biggest shareholder, Microsoft. [Donate Now]( Our mission isn’t to deliver money to shareholders or a corporate parent: It’s to make sure people have access to the truth. AI companies do not factcheck, verify, or investigate. They don’t pore over documents, file Freedom of Information Act requests, or sit with someone for hours until they’re ready to tell their story. But we do, and to continue doing it, we’ve got to confront this existential threat. That brings me back to the heartfelt pitch that David threw out to you: Will you please help us make the most of the $50,000 digital matching gift? [No matter what amount you send](—$10, $100, or $1,000—it becomes twice as much. Every dollar and every donor really does make a difference. Because supporters like you have our backs, we’ve stood up to dark-money billionaires and shadowy charities and even the Reagan administration’s tax lawyers back in the day, so why stop now? Thanks for reading this far, and for everything you do to make Mother Jones what it is. Our work would not be possible without you. Onward, [Monika Bauerlein, CEO] Monika Bauerlein, CEO Mother Jones P.S. As CEO, it’s my job to make sure the lights stay on and journalists can stay on the beat, and I will tell you, it’s a real challenge. Fortunately, we’ve always had supporters who are willing to pay for the journalism they rely on. My hope is that you’ll join those ranks today. [Donate Now](   [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755