Published , by Morgan Shaver
Published , by Morgan Shaver
The response to AI tech like ChatGPT has varied from country to country and regulatory body to regulatory body, with some companies like Microsoft choosing to invest in and embrace it, while other agencies have opted to take a more cautious approach.
Among those choosing to pursue a route of caution include Italy which recently became the first Western country to ban ChatGPT. As reported by outlets like CNBC, the Italian Data Protection Watchdog ordered OpenAI to temporarily cease processing data of Italian users following a probe into a potential breach of Europe’s privacy regulations.
According to regulator Garante, a data breach at OpenAI reportedly allowed users to view the titles of conversations that others were having with the bot. In a statement made last Friday, Garante commented that there “appears to be no legal basis underpinning the massive collection and processing of personal data in order to ‘train’ the algorithms on which the platform relies.”
It’s noted in the reporting by CNBC that Italy isn’t the only country working to counter the rapid pace and expansion of AI tech either, with other governments in the process of drafting their own rules for dealing with AI. For example, the U.K. government recently asked regulators in different sectors to apply existing regulations already in place to AI.
While these proposals don’t mention ChatGPT by name, they do touch on principles for companies to follow when utilizing AI in their products from safety and transparency, to fairness, accountability, and contestability. Outside of this, there have been increased calls for AI regulation by figures like Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak who signed an open letter calling for a pause on AI system training for six months in order to allow for planning, management, and oversight to catch up.
Speaking with CNBC, futurist and global technology innovation advisor for John Deere, Sophie Hackford, remarked on the importance of being careful with AI technology.
Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see how other countries respond to AI technology like ChatGPT, and whether others will move to ban or push back on it as seen in Italy recently. For more on Italy banning ChatGPT, be sure to read through the full reporting from CNBC.
For more on AI, brush up with some of our previous coverage as well, including Midjourney pausing its free trials for AI image generation over deepfake concerns, and Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak signing an open letter calling for pause on AI system training.