ChatGPT Faces Allegations of Violating European Privacy Laws, Italian Regulators Say
- tech360.tv
- Feb 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Italian regulators inform OpenAI of ChatGPT's breach of EU privacy rules. OpenAI given 30 days to respond to allegations. Scrutiny of AI systems extends to the US and the EU.
Italian regulators have informed OpenAI, the maker of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot, that the platform has breached the strict data privacy regulations of the European Union. The country's data protection authority, known as Garante, announced on Monday that it has notified OpenAI of the violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The investigation into ChatGPT began last year when the chatbot was temporarily banned in Italy due to concerns over its ability to generate text, images, and sound in response to user queries. After conducting a thorough "fact-finding activity," Garante concluded that there were indeed breaches of the EU privacy rules.
OpenAI has been given 30 days to respond to the allegations. In a statement, the company expressed its willingness to cooperate with Italian regulators and stated that it believes its practices align with GDPR and other privacy laws. OpenAI emphasised its commitment to protecting user data and privacy, stating that it actively works to minimise the collection of personal information during the training of its AI systems.
Last year, OpenAI fulfilled a set of conditions imposed by Garante to lift the ban on ChatGPT. The ban was initially imposed due to concerns over the exposure of users' messages and payment information, as well as the lack of an age verification system, which allowed children to access inappropriate content. Garante also questioned the legal basis for OpenAI's collection of large amounts of data used to train ChatGPT's algorithms and raised concerns about the generation of false information about individuals.
The scrutiny of generative AI systems like ChatGPT is not limited to Italy. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently launched an inquiry into the relationships between OpenAI, Anthropic (another AI startup), and tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Additionally, competition regulators in the EU and the UK are examining Microsoft's investments in OpenAI.
The European Union is also in the process of finalizing the groundbreaking AI Act, which will be the world's first comprehensive rulebook for artificial intelligence. This legislation aims to provide broader oversight of AI systems and is expected to be endorsed by the EU member states soon.
Italian regulators inform OpenAI of ChatGPT's breach of EU privacy rules
OpenAI given 30 days to respond to allegations
Scrutiny of AI systems extends to the US and the EU
Source: AP NEWS
