OpenAI, the maker of the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT, may soon be able to resume operations in Italy if it complies with measures set by Italian regulators. The country’s data protection authority has imposed a temporary ban on the AI chatbot due to privacy concerns.
Last month, the watchdog ordered OpenAI to temporarily stop processing personal information of Italian users while it investigated a possible data breach. While the authority recognized the importance of AI’s development, it emphasized the need to follow the European Union’s strict data privacy rules.
Requirements for Compliance
To lift the ban, OpenAI must satisfy a series of requirements outlined by the Italian data protection authority. The company must provide information on its website about how and why it processes personal information, as well as offer users the option to correct or delete their data. OpenAI must rely on consent or “legitimate interest” to use personal data to train ChatGPT’s algorithms.
The Italian regulators had also questioned whether there’s a legal basis for OpenAI to collect massive amounts of data used to teach ChatGPT’s algorithms. They also raised concerns that the system could sometimes generate false information about individuals. To address these concerns, OpenAI must carry out a publicity campaign by May 15 to inform people about how it uses their personal data for training algorithms.
Additional measures include verifying users’ ages and setting up a system to filter out those who are under 13 and teens between 13 and 18 who don’t have parental consent.
Growing Concerns about AI
The concerns raised by Italian regulators reflect a growing apprehension about the artificial intelligence boom. Other countries, including France and Canada, have also investigated or scrutinized so-called generative AI technology like ChatGPT. The chatbot is “trained” on large amounts of data, including digital books and online writings, and is able to generate text that mimics human writing styles.
In Conclusion
OpenAI has yet to respond to the Italian data protection authority’s requirements for compliance. The ban on ChatGPT will remain in place until OpenAI satisfies the measures set by the watchdog by April 30. Only then will the Italian supervisory authority lift its order and ChatGPT will be available once again to Italian users.
