George R.R. Martin and other high-profile writers have launched a lawsuit against OpenAI over claims that the AI company is guilty of "flagrant and harmful" infringements on their registered copyrights. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire that HBO adapted into Game of Thrones, is joined by prolific novelist and lawyer John Grisham and Jodi Picoult. Fourteen other authors are part of the lawsuit against OpenAI.

　　The lawsuit says OpenAI's ChatGPT program is a "massive commercial enterprise" that conducts "systematic theft on a mass scale."

　　"It is imperative that we stop this theft in its tracks or we will destroy our incredible literary culture, which feeds many other creative industries in the U.S.," Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said, as reported by the AP.

　　"Great books are generally written by those who spend their careers and, indeed, their lives, learning and perfecting their crafts," Rasenberger added. "To preserve our literature, authors must have the ability to control if and how their works are used by generative AI."

　　George R.R. Martin in a promotional video for House of the DragonSpecifically, the lawsuit points to the AI-created novel "A Dawn of Direwolves," which the suit claims is an "infringing, unauthorized, and detailed" outline for a prequel to Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, featuring same of the same characters from Martin's books.

　　A spokesperson for OpenAI said that the company respects "the rights of writers and authors, and believe they should benefit from AI technology." The spokesperson added that OpenAI is having "productive conversations" with creators to "understand and discuss their concerns about AI."

　　Concerns about AI are also at the heart of the ongoing strikes by Hollywood actors and writers, and it's expected AI will have widespread ramifications across entertainment.

　　Earlier this year, Microsoft invested heavily into AI by reportedly spending $10 billion with OpenAI to create future AI projects. There will be an AI component to every Microsoft product going forward, including Xbox.