On Thursday, the European Data Protection Board stated that it would help out its members in coordinating activities related to ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot created in the United States. This chatbot has already been banned in the country of Italy due to a violation of the privacy regulations. To protest this, the EDPB is forming a specific task force for the purpose of exchanging relevant information about and potential actions taken against data protection authorities.
Recently, Italy announced the banning of ChatGPT, citing that the chatbot had broken certain EU privacy laws and therefore, needed to be addressed. In response to this, the data protection agency of Spain, the AEPD, launched a probe regarding the maker of ChatGPT, OpenAI. Germany voiced its support to the measures, while France’s CNIL gave out five complaints against the chatbot and ordered an investigation.
These decisions are seen in the light of the European GDPR laws which require social media and online services to provide reliable personal information to the public. This is related to a 2021 proposal which puts into motion heavy regulations for the development of AI, a phenomenon that is plaguing the world.
OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed company that owns ChatGPT, commented on this situation by stating it was “committed to protecting people’s privacy” and thus, believed the chatbot to be fully compliant with the laws. For this reason, they took it upon themselves to automatically prevent access to the chatbot in the country of Italy.
The evolution of ChatGPT has taken place in stages. Initially released in November 2022, its copy generated based on user prompts caused a global outcry and backlash. The latest iteration, GPT-4, is said to be the most advanced and has achieved the highest scores on US bar exam and the SAT university entrance tests.
However, the issue of personal information and privacy remains independent of the accuracy and capability of the chatbot. In light of this, it was revealed that the chatbot had allegedly created a news article accusing Jonathan Turley, a law scholar from the US, of sexual harassment of students during a trip to Alaska.
This is a case false accusation, as Jonathan Turley had never even gone to Alaska and the university named in the article was incorrect. This is exactly why the efforts taken by the EU are very important in bringing to light any issues regarding the proper management of AI in the present world.
OpenAI is the company behind ChatGPT, it is backed by Microsoft, it works on developing artificial intelligence technology that is user friendly and compatible with personal rights. The company is being closely monitored by numerous European data protection agencies and has stated its commitment to following the rules and provide protection to user’s privacy.
