The popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT has come into the wrong spotlight, as the Italian data protection agency Garante has accused them of gathering data from users’ conversations without their prior consent. This act may have severe consequences, from a ban from being used in the European Union, to vast fines and other repercussions.
ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot which learns from user conversations in order to aid users with everyday tasks. Garante finds this process of collecting data to be dubious and incompatible with the standards of the EU for protecting personal information. They claim that it collects user information without giving them notice or allowing them to choose whether they wish to have their data taken from them.
The company behind ChatGPT, Chatbot Solutions, was founded in 2019 and develops custom-made and ready-made AI-driven chatbot solutions under the brand name. Their AI-powered chatbot is currently used by many organizations and businesses worldwide, and they also offer a platform to customers to build their own custom chatbot on top of.
The founder of ChatGPT and Chatbot Solutions is Leonardo Alessi, an Italian entrepreneur and computer programmer, who is also a strong advocate of the EU’s data privacy regulations. Mr. Alessi, however, has denied the accusations of the Italian data protection agency, claiming that they are unrelated to the work of the company and the chatbot.
It is yet to be seen if the controversy surrounding ChatGPT will have serious repercussions for the company, but if it does, it will surely be a major setback for them and their ambitious plans for AI-driven chatbots. It is also a reminder of the importance of respecting data privacy regulations at all times, not only in the EU, but worldwide.
