Spain’s data protection authority, the AEPD, has followed Italy’s lead and announced that it is conducting a preliminary investigation on ChatGPT-maker OpenAI of possible breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). At the end of last month, the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA) ordered OpenAI to stop processing the data of Italian citizens as they suspected a number of GDPR violations. OpenAI has chosen to block access to ChatGPT in Italy, but the AEPD has not put out any similar instruction yet.
In an official statement (that is a translated version of the Spanish version), the AEPD wrote that it “has initiated ex officio preliminary investigation proceedings against the U.S. company OpenAI, owner of the ChatGPT service, for possible non-compliance with the regulations.” That statement, however, did not provide any details of the specific issues that the AEPD is looking into.
The Italian DPA’s list of violations included legal infractions concerning the transparency of data processing, child protection, and data access. As of the present moment, ChatGPT is still accessible via a Spanish IP address.
In order for the suspension order against OpenAI in Italy to be lifted, the OpenAI had to take certain measures. These are outlined in the Italian DPA’s list of measures and OpenAI has been given until the end of the month to make most of the changes. In response, OpenAI’s spokeswoman refused to comment on the Spanish investigation.
The AEPD also reported to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) with the suggestion of ChatGPT being included in a plenary discussion due to the fact that OpenAI processes data on a global level, and this could have an effect on individuals in the EU. The Board’s task force was appointed today, with the purpose of promoting cooperation and exchanging information regarding the actions taken by the data protection authorities.
The AEPD has stated that it would welcome any development or implementation of technologies such as artificial intelligence, however, these must abide by the rules of the EU’s data protection framework and secure the rights and freedom of citizens.
OpenAI is a company that was founded with the goal of advancing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) by creating beneficial technologies that could help solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. It is a research laboratory and a nonprofit organization that develops and releases software and hardware products, including ChatGPT.
The person mentioned in the article is Musk, Tesla CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, was one of the first to recognize the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). From its very beginnings, OpenAI has had a strong focus on developing technologies that could benefit humanity, while at the same time raising concerns about their development and applications. Musk has been vocal in his stance on the possible dangers of AI, such as its potential for misuse.
