The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) recently announced the launch of an investigation into American AI research company Open AI regarding its ChatGPT generative AI platform. According to the privacy watchdog, the platform may be in violation of national laws and regulations. This possible breach was discussed by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), who decided to create a task force led by the AEPD in order to further investigate the platform.
Open AI is a research laboratory focussed on producing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology. Founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the company works in a range of AI subfields such as computer vision, deep learning, and natural language processing. ChatGPT is Open AI’s natural language processing system that can generate responses to conversations with human participants. Last week, Italy made the bold decision to ban the platform, threatening Open AI with a cease and desist of operations until further notice. The organization was then eventually allowed to resume operations after agreeing to adhere to data collection, age restrictions and other requirements.
At the vast core, the AEPD investigation is aiming to discover whether the platform is in compliance with EU privacy regulations, as it believes “global data processing requires harmonized and coordinated actions at the European level”. The full extent of which ChatGPT invades user data will likely have to be further examined in order to determine if Open AI is compliant or not. In the meanwhile, the AEPD is dedicated to promoting responsible usage of innovative technologies, prioritizing the “rights and freedoms of individuals”. Thus, this investigation is an important step in the idea of harmonizing such groundbreaking technologies but also protecting user privacy.
