Reddit has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, accusing the company of breaching its user agreement and engaging in unlawful business practices by using Reddit's content without authorization.
Filed in a San Francisco court on Wednesday, the complaint claims Anthropic trained its AI models using Reddit user data without consent, causing significant harm to the platform.
The lawsuit characterizes Anthropic as a "late-blooming" AI company that brands itself as an ethical leader, but according to Reddit, it "does not respect Reddit's rules or its users." The company alleges that Anthropic harvested content indiscriminately, believing it could use the data freely and without consequence.
In contrast, Reddit notes that major AI firms like OpenAI and Google have secured proper licensing agreements that respect the platform's terms and user privacy. Reddit recently partnered with OpenAI, allowing the AI firm to use its content under specific conditions, and holds a similar deal with Google.
Anthropic, backed by Amazon and recently valued at $61.5 billion, denied the allegations in a statement, saying it "disagrees with Reddit's claims and will defend itself vigorously."
Reddit, which went public in 2024 and now has a market cap of about $22 billion, emphasized that its platform was never meant to be exploited by commercial actors without providing value in return.
The company is seeking damages and a court order compelling Anthropic to comply with its contractual and legal obligations. A jury trial has been requested.
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