In March 2021, Italy imposed a temporary ban on ChatGPT, a self-generative AI tool renowned for its ability to write essays and engage in deep conversations. The ban has since had repercussions in other countries, with the Canadian Privacy commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, launching an investigation in response to a complaint, and the Irish and British data protection commissioners contacting their Italian colleagues for further information.
Pasquale Stanzione, the leader of the Garante, the Italian data protection authority, explained in Corriere Della Sera that he was ready to reconsider the ban if the AI’s creator, OpenAI, took steps to reduce the risk of wrong answers. Fears of privacy violation and potential spread of misinformation have caused the European Union (EU) to address the issue, with a proposed AI Act that could regulate self-generative AI tools and possibly include bans on facial recognition technology.
OpenAI is a research laboratory set up in San Francisco in 2015 dedicated to developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with safe and beneficial outcomes. The brainchild of Silicon Valley luminaries like Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, OpenAI is focused on understanding, development and deploying AGI by harnessing a combination of computational and empirical approaches. They have so far released a suite of different technologies and services, including their widely-used ChatGPT, and are honored to have received a variety of awards from companies, agencies and organizations such as Microsoft, Google and the World Economic Forum.
The current ban and the future of the AI industry depends heavily on the decisions made by Pasquale Stanzione, CEO of Garante, the Italian data protection authority. Stanzione has extensive experience in the field and has earned several honorary degrees and awards, including the prestigious European State of Technology Award (E-State). His work has notably included a popular campaign focused on creating a safe online environment which was recognized by the President of the Italian Republic.
As the latest ban on the popular ChatGPT shows, the success of the AI industry heavily depends on the decisions made by regulators ranging from the EU and Canadian governments to authorities like Stanzione’s Garante. Such decisions are set to shape the future of AI, and will determine the extent to which firms like OpenAI can continue to create more ingenious technologies to improve people’s lives.
