Neuroscientists Sue Apple for Using Copyrighted Books in Apple Intelligence AI Training

Apple Intelligence is an integrated suite of AI-powered features designed for iOS devices.

Apple faces a lawsuit in California federal court from two neuroscientists claiming the company misappropriated thousands of copyrighted books to train its Apple Intelligence AI model.

Professors Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn filed a proposed class action on Thursday. They allege Apple utilized illegal "shadow libraries" containing pirated books to develop Apple Intelligence.

Last month, a different group of authors also sued Apple for allegedly misusing their works in AI training.

This case joins numerous high-stakes lawsuits filed by copyright owners including authors, news organizations, and music labels against major tech companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms over unauthorized use of their content in AI training. In August, Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a similar lawsuit from another author group regarding the training of its AI chatbot Claude.

When contacted on Friday, representatives for Apple, Martinez-Conde, Macknik, and their attorney did not immediately respond to comment requests about the new complaint.

Apple Intelligence comprises AI-driven features integrated across iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads.

The lawsuit states: "The day after Apple officially introduced Apple Intelligence, the company gained more than $200 billion in value: 'the single most lucrative day in the history of the company.'"

According to the complaint, Apple used datasets containing thousands of pirated books and other copyright-infringing materials scraped from the internet to train its AI system.

The lawsuit specifically mentions that the pirated materials included the professors' books: "Champions of Illusion: The Science Behind Mind-Boggling Images and Mystifying Brain Puzzles" and "Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals About Our Everyday Deceptions."

The professors are seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order preventing Apple from further misuse of their copyrighted work.