Last Update: April 14, 2023, 00:18 AM IST
Italy was the first Western European country to take action against OpenAI. (file photo)
ChatGPT can generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts, and has proven itself capable of passing some of the toughest tests
The European Union’s central data regulator said Thursday it is setting up a task force to help countries deal with wildly popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, increasing pressure on its US creator OpenAI.
Italy temporarily banned the program last month because its data-gathering broke privacy laws, and France’s regulator said on Thursday it had opened a formal process after receiving five complaints.
Spain’s AEPD data protection agency also said it had launched an investigation into the software and its US owner, adding that while it supported AI development, “it must be compatible with individual rights and freedoms”.
ChatGPT can generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts, and has proven itself capable of passing some of the toughest tests.
But it has been dogged by concerns that its brilliance could lead to widespread cheating in schools, supercharge disinformation on the web and replace human workers.
And the chatbot can only function when it’s trained on huge datasets, raising concerns about where OpenAI gets its data and how that information is handled.
French regulator CNIL, considered Europe’s most powerful, opened the case after receiving five complaints, one of which was from MP Eric Bothorel.
He said the bot had invented details of his life, including his date of birth and job history.
Under Europe’s Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), such systems are obliged to provide personal data as accurate as possible.
Italy, the first regulator to ban the bot, this week will be required to issue a series of actions to bring OpenAI back into the country – not least providing a legal basis for collecting its data.
Europe’s central regulator EDPB said its members decided to take action after monitoring Italy’s approach.
“The EDPB decided to launch a dedicated task force to promote cooperation and exchange information on potential enforcement actions taken by data protection authorities,” the body said.
Following Italy’s order to block ChatGPT, OpenAI told AFP it was “committed to protecting people’s privacy” and believed its tool complied with the law.
The firm said it had voluntarily geo-blocked its services in Italy.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
