The recent move by Italy to temporarily ban OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a popular generative AI chatbot, has sparked discussions among European countries about the need for harsher measures to regulate the emerging field of AI. While European parliamentarians are still debating the content and scope of the EU AI Act, some privacy regulators are finding that existing tools such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can be applied to generative AI companies.
The Italian privacy regulator, Garante, accused OpenAI of failing to verify the age of ChatGPT users and the lack of a legal basis for the collection and storage of personal data to train the chatbot. This has prompted other European countries, such as France, Ireland, and Germany, to reach out to Italy for more information and consider similar actions. However, the responses from different countries vary. While Italy’s deputy prime minister criticized the ban as excessive, Germany’s government spokesperson stated that a ban would not be necessary.
Privacy regulators see this as an opportunity to shape the future of AI by leveraging existing regulations such as the GDPR. Dessislava Savova, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, commented that “the points they raise are fundamental and show that GDPR does offer tools for the regulators to be involved and engaged in shaping the future of AI.”
OpenAI has taken ChatGPT offline in Italy and has not yet responded to regulators. However, the company has stated that it actively works to reduce personal data in training its AI systems. It’s worth noting that OpenAI does not have offices in the European Union.
The Italian investigation into OpenAI was triggered by a cyber security breach last month, during which users were shown excerpts of other users’ ChatGPT conversations and their financial information. Italy is the first Western country to take action against an AI-powered chatbot.
While ChatGPT has been specifically targeted by Italy, other AI platforms such as Google’s Bard may also face scrutiny in the future. Experts believe that Google is more likely to have taken privacy concerns into account due to its history in Europe and the size of its organization.
In conclusion, the ban on ChatGPT by Italy has ignited discussions among European countries about the regulation of AI and privacy concerns. While privacy regulators see this as an opportunity to use existing regulations to shape the future of AI, governments have varying opinions on the necessity of bans. The response from OpenAI and other AI companies, as well as the outcome of ongoing investigations, will likely have significant implications for the future of AI regulation in Europe. As the field of AI continues to rapidly evolve, finding a balance between innovation and privacy protection will be a key challenge for policymakers and stakeholders.