Italy’s data protection regulator, led by Pasquale Stanzione, has recently announced that it will be allowing the return of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot at the end of April, provided OpenAI takes adequate steps to address the regulator’s concerns. Microsoft-backed OpenAI had shut down the chatbot in Italy in late March following the country’s temporary restriction of its personal data processing and an investigation into a suspected breach of privacy rules.
In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Stanzione said the country’s data protection agency is ready to reopen ChatGPT on the 30th of April if OpenAI takes necessary measures to address its concerns. The watchdog released a list of demands that OpenAI must comply with before the 30th of April in order to resume its operations. As a result of the data protection agency’s actions, Italy became the first Western European country to temporarily put a stop to ChatGPT’s operations.
In recent years, lawmakers and regulators in many countries have taken notice of the extremely rapid progress of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT, to the point that EU policymakers recently urged global leaders to hold a summit focusing on how to control the development of such technologies. Stanzione noted that in the absence of a consensus among EU countries on the issue, Italy acted unilaterally to protect the rights of its citizens, something that undoubtedly could not have been achieved without a considerable amount of time being invested.
In the past few years, OpenAI has managed to make great strides in the field of AI, growing to become one of the most noteworthy tech companies in this sector. Founded in 2015 by a group of prominent AI researchers, investors, and entrepreneurs, the main goal of OpenAI has been to develop powerful and capable AI tools that are safe and beneficial to society at large. Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI, and the two companies recently announced a multiyear partnership to develop cutting-edge AI technologies and solutions together.
Pasquale Stanzione is an Italian lawyer and public administrator currently serving as the President of the Italian Data Protection Authority. Before taking up that role, Stanzione held a number of high-profile roles such as head of the Mediation Authority of the Italian Ministry of Education, head of the disciplinary arm of the Supreme Court of the Republic of San Marino, Vice President of the Council of Notaries of Italy and Secretary General of the Italian Bar Association.
In his current role, Stanzione is responsible for ensuring that all personal data processing activities in Italy are in line with the applicable laws and regulations. He has been extremely proactive in ensuring the protection of his citizens’ rights and recently took the necessary steps to safeguard privacy during the AI-based Chatbot controversy.
