On Thursday, European data protection regulators made the decision to launch a dedicated task force aimed at investigating ChatGPT. This news comes after a flurry of concerns from watchdogs across the continent, questioning whether the usage of ChatGPT is compliant to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) will be responsible for the task force, and its purpose is to coordinate between data protection authorities and share information concerning possible enforcement actions.
The decision took place after the Italian data protection authority acted in direct response to OpenAI’s usage of ChatGPT by issuing a temporary suspension of the service. Italy requested that OpenAI comply with the GDPR and laid out certain criteria to be met in order to reinstate the chatbot, including age-gating, improved transparency in data processing, and an opt-out option for non-users. These requirements were met with agreement by OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, who tweeted in response “We of course defer to the Italian government and have ceased offering ChatGPT in Italy (though we think we are following all privacy laws).”
The issue of ChatGPT was included on the EDPB’s agenda by request of the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD). The agency has further declared that it has initiated its own investigation into potential breaches of regulations and has been working in tandem with counterparts across Europe.
This is not limited to the AEPD, however. Reports indicate CNIL – the French privacy watchdog – has been looking into complaints surrounding ChatGPT, the most pronouced of which comes from Eric Botheral, a member of the French National Assembly.
Despite this, the Digital Minister of France, Jean-Noël Barrot, did not believe a ban was the most suitable solution. Rather, an understanding that the chatbot does not abide with the public’s privacy is enough for him.
At the time of writing, OpenAI has declined to respond to requests for commment.
OpenAI is a technology company based in San Francisco, and is widely considered to be a leader in advanced artificial intelligence research and applications. Founded in late 2015, OpenAI is committed to creating and developing AI technologies for the betterment of society. Furthermore, their mission is to invent and apply advanced AI technologies to help the world take the responsible path to the future.
Sam Altman is the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, and a distinguished figure in the technology industry. He is also the President of Y Combinator, a popular startup incubator and acceleration program. Prior to OpenAI, he has held prominent positions such as Member of the Board of Directors of Cruise Automation, Inc., and CEO and President of Loopt, Inc. His experience and insight has been an invaluable asset to OpenAI’s advancement of artificial intelligence research.
