Three provinces in Canada have joined a federal investigation into a well-known artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, ChatGPT. The Alberta Privacy Commissioner has announced they will investigate whether OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, has obtained valid consent from Canadians before collecting, using, and disclosing account holders’ personal information.
ChatGPT, released in November 2020, responds to user questions based on web content. The investigation including Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec will focus on how OpenAI follows their obligation to transparency, access, accuracy, and accountability with regards to personal data. Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne has declared artificial intelligence and its implications in data privacy a top priority.
OpenAI is the artificial intelligence research lab behind ChatGPT. Founded in 2015, OpenAI has quickly become an industry-leader in the development of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Led by tech heavyweights such as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, their mission is to advance digital intelligence in the way of beneficial AI. OpenAI has also worked with various organizations to bring AGI to the masses, including Microsoft, NVIDIA, AMD, LexisNexis, and others.
Philippe Dufresne is the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, appointed in 2017. Dufresne has extensive experience in the field of law and public security, having spent a decade as a RCPSC assistant director and national program leader. He was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. As the Privacy Commissioner, Dufresne has made preserving the public’s data security a priority; a goal furthered by his involvement with this investigation.
