A Microsoft director of applied science described large-model AI scraping as the “largest theft of labor in human history” in a January 2023 internal memo that became public through a court filing in September 2026.
The comment is attributed to Brent Hecht, Microsoft’s director of applied science. In the news publishers’ summary-judgment filing, Hecht is quoted describing large-model scraping as an “astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions” and the “largest theft of labor in human history.”
The timing matters. The quote was not a new Microsoft statement made on October 12; it came from an internal 2023 memo that surfaced publicly in litigation in September 2026. The full underlying exhibit remains sealed, limiting the amount of context available around the remarks.
Microsoft has said Hecht’s comments reflect one employee’s individual perspective and do not represent the company’s views.
Microsoft and OpenAI have argued that training AI systems on copyrighted material can qualify as fair use. OpenAI has defended that position publicly. The lawsuit has not produced a final ruling that the companies committed theft.
The dispute sits inside a broader fight over how AI companies obtain training data and whether creators should be compensated. BitcoinVersus has also covered AI and labor, AI licensing, and copyright and software law.
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