The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly planning to launch an investigation into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, regarding their data sources. It is believed that the FTC is looking into possible violations of consumer protection laws. The investigation will focus on the origins of the data used by OpenAI for their Large Language Models (LLMs) that power ChatGPT.
One of the concerns raised by legal and technology experts is the question of who has the right to use individual or copyrighted data to create commercially available LLMs. OpenAI and META, another company involved in the lawsuit, claim that the raw data fed into their LLMs were sourced from publicly accessible data. However, comedian Sarah Silverman, along with other authors, has filed a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement. Silverman claims that her material was used as part of the dataset for the LLMs.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages, and many artists, writers, and music composers are recognizing the challenges that AI brings to the future of creative works, digital rights, and content copyrighting. It is likely that more lawsuits will follow.
In a recent blog, concerns were raised about the impact of AI on the creative, economic, and employment sectors. While AI continues to progress rapidly, the casualties of this advancement are becoming collateral damage. The AI industry seems to be aiming for a lack of federal regulations and a federal privacy law, which would be a significant advantage for them. With a privacy law similar to those implemented in the European Union, AI providers would be required to disclose specific details about the data used in their LLMs and output datasets. This increased transparency could pose challenges for companies like OpenAI and AI content brokers.
The article also mentions Google’s access to a vast number of emails under the gmail.com domain around 15 years ago. Nevertheless, it is noted that Facebook has not followed a similar path. However, amidst growing concerns, the FTC is seen as an important body safeguarding consumer interests.
Advocates for a federal privacy law and a consumer AI bill of rights argue that such measures would help restore trust in technology and in the people who benefit from it both financially and politically.
To conclude, the FTC’s investigation into OpenAI’s data sources for their LLMs used in ChatGPT is causing a stir in the industry. As individuals and businesses fight for their rights in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, the need for federal regulations and privacy laws is becoming more apparent. The outcome of this investigation and subsequent lawsuits could have significant implications for the future of AI and the protection of individual and copyrighted data.
