OpenAI signs deal to use Condé Nast's content in ChatGPT and SearchGPT

Condé Nast joins Time magazine, Financial Times, and others in partnering with OpenAI as AI's role in media continues to expand.

by Kelechi Edeh

Updated August 21, 2024

On Tuesday, OpenAI revealed a multi-year partnership with media powerhouse, Condé Nast that's turning heads in both tech and media circles.

So, what's happening? OpenAI, the Sam Altman-led company behind ChatGPT, will be using content from Condé Nast's magazines—we're talking Vogue, Vanity Fair, Wired—in their AI products. This means you might see articles from these publications pop up when you're using ChatGPT or OpenAI's new SearchGPT prototype.

OpenAI's been busy lately. Reuters reports they've made similar deals with Time magazine, Financial Times, Axel Springer (owner of Business Insider), France's Le Monde, and Spain's Prisa Media over the past few months. But not everyone's happy about this trend. The New York Times and The Intercept have actually taken the Microsoft-backed OpenAI to court over copyright concerns.

While we don't know the financial details, both sides seem pretty excited about the deal. OpenAI's chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, says in the blog announcement that it's all about maintaining "accuracy, integrity, and respect for quality reporting."

Over at Condé Nast, CEO Roger Lynch hinted that this partnership might help make up for some of the revenue they've lost to tech companies over the past decade, according to the New York Times. For context, a PwC report estimated that global newspaper advertising revenue fell by 27% between 2015 and 2020.

This partnership comes just as OpenAI launched SearchGPT in July. It's their new AI-powered search engine with real-time access to internet information, putting them in competition with Google. OpenAI says they're working with their news partners to get feedback on SearchGPT's design and performance.

As AI and traditional media continue to mix, we could be seeing more of these kinds of partnerships. But how this might affect the way we create, share, and consume news and information is a topic of ongoing discussion in the industry.