Today, the Italian regulator, Guarantor of Personal Data Protection (called GPDP in its Italian acronym), announced a temporary ban on ChatGPT in Italy. The ban took effect immediately, accusing ChatGPT developer OpenAI of illegally collecting personal data of Italian internet users to train conversational AI software and introducing an age verification system to prevent children. It will continue to apply while regulators investigate concerns that they are not. From access to tools.
The ban in Italy came after the ChatGPT data breach occurred on March 20, exposing “user conversations and information about subscriber payments for paid services,” GPDP said in a press release. I’m here. OpenAI has notified users affected by the breach, stating that it is “committed to protecting user privacy and keeping data safe,” and that it “falls short of its commitment and user expectations.” I apologized.
Ars was unable to reach OpenAI for comment. The company has been given 20 days to address GPDP concerns or to respond to proposed measures that could face fines of up to €20 million or 4% of OpenAI’s total revenue.
Potential mitigations to lift the ban include notifying users about how OpenAI collects data and implementing an age verification system to prevent young children from using ChatGPT. There is a possibility.
GPDP is also concerned that answers to ChatGPT text prompts may mislead users by manipulating data, processing data incorrectly and ultimately sharing false information. .
Currently, GPDP says there is no legal basis for OpenAI to collect and store personal data to train the AI models ChatGPT uses to simulate and process persuasive real-world conversations. . There is also no age verification system to prevent minors from being exposed to answers to text prompts that are “absolutely inappropriate” for a young user’s “degree of development and self-awareness”.
Ars was unable to immediately reach out to GPDP for comment on next steps in the investigation.
According to GPDP documents, OpenAI is not currently based in the EU, so the company has 60 days to challenge the ban.
Should governments restrict AI tools?
ChatGPT is just one of many AI tools fueling a lively ethical debate. Some critics have urged regulators to delay the development of AI technology until the risks of mass adoption are fully understood. However, according to Reuters, ChatGPT is the fastest growing consumer application in history, reaching his 100 monthly active users within two months of its launch. .
In particular, the increased scrutiny of OpenAI’s products appears to be just beginning. Earlier this week, a nonprofit AI research group filed a complaint against OpenAI’s product GPT-4, claiming it was “biased and deceptive” and posed “risks to privacy and public safety.” I filed a complaint with the Trade Commission. GPT-4 has been trained on vast amounts of online data and is already available for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, powering Microsoft’s Bing.
