Italian Watchdog Finds Data Protection Breaches in ChatGPT AI Chatbot
ChatGPT, the AI chatbot powered by OpenAI, has been found to violate data protection regulations by the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA). The investigation conducted by the DPA revealed that the chatbot was involved in data privacy violations related to personal data collection and age protections. It was also discovered that ChatGPT relies on receiving vast amounts of data from the internet, which raised concerns about privacy.
Italy became the first Western country to ban ChatGPT in March 2023 due to these privacy concerns. However, the chatbot was reactivated after about four weeks, claiming to have addressed the issues pointed out by the DPA. Despite this, the DPA’s fact-finding activity concluded that there were indeed breaches of the provisions contained in the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). These breaches were mainly related to the extensive collection of user data used to train the algorithm.
The DPA also expressed concerns about young users being exposed to inappropriate content provided by the chatbot. In response to this violation, OpenAI has 30 days to provide a defense. Failure to comply with the GDPR can result in fines of up to 4% of a company’s global revenue.
In April 2023, the European Union’s European Data Protection Board established a special task force in collaboration with Italy’s DPA to oversee ChatGPT. At that time, the Italian regulator welcomed the measures implemented by OpenAI but urged even greater compliance. The regulator requested OpenAI to implement an age verification system and conduct an information campaign to inform Italians about the data processing and their right to opt-out.
OpenAI has strong ties with Microsoft, which has made significant investments in the company. Microsoft has integrated AI technology into its Bing search engine, as well as its Office 365 programs such as Word, Teams, and Outlook.
As this news unfolds, it raises important questions about the responsible use of AI technology and the need for stricter data protection measures. The outcome of this case will likely have implications not only for ChatGPT but for the wider AI industry as well. It remains to be seen how OpenAI will respond to the allegations and what steps will be taken to ensure compliance with data protection regulations in the future.
