**Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Testify in AI Copyright Lawsuit**

In a recent decision, U.S. District Judge Thomas Hixson has mandated that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will have to testify in a copyright infringement lawsuit. The suit, initiated by authors such as comedian Sarah Silverman, accuses Meta of improperly using their works to advance its artificial intelligence technology.

Judge Hixson dismissed Meta's attempt to avoid Zuckerberg’s deposition on Tuesday, clarifying that sufficient evidence supports his role as the key decision-maker in the company’s AI ventures. Meta's defense argued that Zuckerberg lacked specific knowledge about the operational details of their AI, and that equivalent information could be obtained from other employees. However, the court noted that the plaintiffs had presented substantial evidence of Zuckerberg's direct involvement and oversight of Meta's AI initiatives.

Filed last year in a federal court in California, the class action lawsuit alleges that Meta illegally downloaded digital copies of the plaintiffs' books. These materials, according to the lawsuit, were then used without authorization or remuneration to train Meta’s AI systems.

This legal action gained additional momentum this week with the inclusion of renowned attorney David Boies, who joins the case representing Silverman, along with notable figures like writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

The lawsuit against Meta is part of a broader movement targeting several AI developers. Similar cases are unfolding in courts in San Francisco and New York, involving companies such as Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. These actions collectively highlight the rising tension between content creators and tech firms over the use of copyrighted material in developing artificial intelligence technologies.