The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has announced the formation of a task force to promote collaboration and develop a uniform policy in establishing privacy regulations for artificial intelligence (AI). This comes in response to Italy’s decision last month to restrict ChatGPT, with Germany’s commissioner for data protection suggesting that it should also be adopted in their largest European economy.
The task force is made up of members from each of the European national watchdog agencies, forming a unified policy stance. However, according to a source at one of the agencies, implementation of the policy may take some time. The priority of the meeting was to develop broad regulations that were both transparent and beneficial for users.
ChatGPT has been a lightning rod for AI related ethics and safety. With over 100 million monthly active users, experts, the US government and many European countries have raised a concern over its quick adoption. At the forefront of this controversy is OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an AI-based natural language processing application that can quickly answer a variety of questions.
The EDPB task force will continue to discuss the enforcement action taken by Italy, Spain and other member states in the hopes of creating a unified policy to protect consumer privacy and safety. They will be looking to develop regulations that are both transparent and beneficial for users of AI technology.
The EDPB is an independent body overseen by state data protection watchdogs, whose core responsibility is to regulate data protection laws within the European Union. This task force is a major first step toward potential harmonization of security regulations for AI services.
Microsoft Corp., a major backer of OpenAI and its ChatGPT, would need to take the lead in ensuring that the company complies with new regulations. The company will need to ensure that its applications are designed with privacy in mind and that no potential risks are posed to consumers’ safety. Microsoft’s compliance with the regulations will be closely watched by privacy advocates, who hope that this task force will help establish a safe digital environment for all users.
