Amidst a tsunami of media coverage of AI doomsday concerns, OpenAI has just filed an explosive motion to strike that will return some attention back to the MDL copyright litigation against it. OpenAI seeks to strike the non-peer-reviewed AI research paper provocatively titled “Generative AI floods and dilutes the market for books,” as well as expert testimony based on it.
OpenAI says it uncovered a disclosure by the lead researcher who wrote the paper, Stony Brook University professor Dr. Tuhin Chakrabarty on his CV: “Dr. Chakrabarty’s resume on his website, showing a $100,000 ‘gift’ from ‘Susman Godfrey L.L.P.’ sponsoring the research subject of the Chakrabarty Paper.”
OpenAI further alleges: “Rather than disclose Dr. Chakrabarty’s opinions through the ordinary expert process, Class Plaintiffs backchanneled his litigation-funded work into the case through a different expert, Mr. Michael Lasinski. On Sunday, August 2, 2026, the day before Mr. Lasinski’s deposition and after all expert-report deadlines had passed, Susman served a ‘supplemental’ report by Mr. Lasinski devoted entirely to the Chakrabarty Paper. Chiu Decl. Ex. Q. At his deposition, Mr. Lasinski testified that he did not know Susman had funded the research, stating that ‘funding something like this would be inconsistent with what I’ve known the Susman Godfrey firm to do.’ Chiu Decl. Ex. B (August 3, 2026 Deposition of Michael Lasinski (“Lasinski Tr.”)) 119:2-4. Susman counsel defending the deposition sat silent and did nothing to correct this testimony.”
Pretty explosive allegations by OpenAI. The Chakrabarty’s paper itself does not appear to disclose the $100,000 funding, either, as far as I can tell.
Excerpt: