The G7 nations have come to an agreement to regulate ChatGPT, a generative AI tool. This agreement was made amid the rising relevance of such AI platforms, especially in Europe and spearheaded by Italy, a member of the G7. Italy had previously banned ChatGPT due to privacy concerns but has since lifted it, although some countries in Europe are still debating the potential harms. Despite that, the G7 nations agreed that the regulations should promote an open and enabling environment to develop AI technologies.
Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission Executive Vice President commented that the G7 meeting showed that the nations were “not alone” in this endeavor. This meeting came after ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI and supported by Microsoft Corp experienced unprecedented growth since its launch in November 2020.
The G7 ministers recognised that “policy instruments to achieve the common vision and goal of trustworthy AI may vary across G7 members” and this agreement has set the template for AI governance across various countries. They have agreed upon further discussions to protect intellectual property rights, address disinformation and promote transparency.
These measures have been further endorsed by the European Union (EU) as an updated draft of the forthcoming AI Act, which included provisions to protect copyright in relation to generative AI. This also followed after a summit of world leaders acknowledged the need to control the use of this technology.
OpenAI is a technology company focused on creating human-level Artificial Intelligence (AI), and is supported by Microsoft Corp. Backed by some of the biggest names in the industry, OpenAI is supported by the likes of Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, amongst others. OpenAI’s mission is to develop advanced AI, with safety and trust at the forefront of its research.
Margrethe Vestager is a Danish Politician who serves as the Executive Vice President of the European Commission. She was appointed Commissioner for Competition in 2014 and has since built a reputation for fighting against corporate tax avoidance and anticompetitive behaviour. In her role as Executive Vice President, she has been tasked with leading the European Commission’s work on the Digital Single Market. In addition, she has also been actively involved in seeking collaboration between the G7 members to regulate AI-based technologies such as ChatGPT.
