Art of the Steal: News Corp warns AI is cannibalizing Trump’s book sales

News Corp is warning Donald Trump that artificial intelligence is cannibalizing sales of his books, including The Art of the Deal, by allowing AI systems to profit from his intellectual property without permission. The media conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdoch used its earnings report to highlight how AI companies are undermining book sales across the publishing industry, even affecting high-profile authors like the president.

What they’re saying: News Corp delivered a pointed message about AI’s impact on intellectual property rights in its fourth-quarter earnings statement.

• “The AI age must cherish the value of intellectual property if we are collectively to realize our potential,” the company said. “Even the president of the United States is not immune to blatant theft.”
• “The president’s books are still reporting healthy sales, but are being consumed by AI engines which profit from his thoughts by cannibalizing his concepts, thus undermining future sales of his books.”
• “Suddenly, The Art of the Deal has become The Art of the Steal.”

The big picture: News Corp’s warning comes as media companies increasingly battle AI firms over unauthorized use of copyrighted content to train large language models.

• Media outlets have sued AI companies, including OpenAI, for using their content without permission to train AI models.
• In May, a federal judge rejected OpenAI’s request to dismiss a lawsuit from the New York Times over content usage.
• Dow Jones, which publishes the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post sued Perplexity AI in October over similar copyright claims.

Why this matters: The timing of News Corp’s message coincides with Trump’s recent AI policy changes that could affect how these disputes are resolved.

• The White House announced Trump’s “AI action plan” last month, which would loosen AI regulations that had been implemented under the Biden administration.
• News Corp CEO Robert Thomson said the company is in “advanced negotiations with several AI companies,” describing the approach as a mix of “wooing and suing.”

Key details: News Corp owns multiple major media properties but doesn’t actually publish Trump’s most famous book.

• The company owns HarperCollins, which has published three of Trump’s books, though The Art of the Deal was published by Random House.
• News Corp’s portfolio includes the Wall Street Journal, the Times (UK), the Australian, the New York Post, and Fox News.

Corporate tensions: The warning comes amid strained relations between News Corp and the Trump administration.

• Trump sued the Wall Street Journal after it published a report claiming he once sent Jeffrey Epstein an intimate birthday message with a sexually suggestive drawing.
• Trump claimed the report was false and amounted to libel, while the newspaper has requested a judge dismiss the case.
• Relations between Murdoch and Trump soured during the president’s third presidential campaign.

Business performance: News Corp exceeded fourth-quarter expectations, driven largely by digital subscription growth.

• The company beat earnings expectations due to rising digital subscriptions from Dow Jones, which houses business publications like the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and MarketWatch.
• On Monday, News Corp announced plans to launch the California Post, a sister tabloid to the New York Post, in early 2026.