Italy reportedly bans ChatGPT. With this very move, could the United States be the next in line to carry out similar action? This decision in question from the region was made after a data breach was reported back in March that got to expose the conversations and much other sensitive information of users.
Italy Bans ChatGPT
Generative AI models such as ChatGPT of OpenAI collect data to fine-tune and reform their very own models further. The data collected is seen by Italy as a potential breach of the privacy of users, and as a result of this, the region has now banned ChatGPT in the country.
The Italian Data Protection Authority back on Friday released a statement imposing a temporary limitation on the processing of user data by OpenAI in Italy with immediate effect.
The two other significant concerns the ban is trying to address are the unauthorized collection of user data as well as the lack of verification of age which tends to expose kids to responses that are “absolutely inappropriate to their age and awareness,” as per the release.
Italian Data Protection Authority Press Release
The authorities in regard to data collection claim that OpenAI has not been authorized to gather user data legally.
“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,” the Italian Data Protection Authority in the release stated.
Designated representatives of OpenAI in the European Economic Area have a total of 20 days to comply with the new order, otherwise, the AI research firm could well face a fine of up to 20 million euros or 4% of the worldwide annual turnover in total.
The Reason for the Reported Ban
The decision in question was made after a data breach that happened on March 20. The reported breach exposed the conversation of users and the information made on payments by subscribers.
This very breach however highlighted the potential risk of utilizing the services of AI tools that are still in the research phase but are still made available for the use of the public.
So with everything that has happened with ChatGPT in Italy, can a ban in the US happen anytime soon? Tech leaders in the United States already have started to call for a temporary ban on the further developments of AI.
Tech Leaders in the US Have Called On a Temporary Pause on AI Development
Telsa CEO, Elon Musk, co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, and the CEO of Stability AI, Emad Mostaque in the early parts of this week were among many other tech leaders who have now signed a petition calling on all AI labs in the region to pause the training of AI systems that are more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months.
And just like the ban in Italy, the reported break urged by the petition is made to protect society from “profound risks to both humanity and society” that AI systems with human competitive intelligence can easily provoke. The petition also urged lawmakers in the US to consider making an intervention if the reported pause is not taken up by AI labs.
MORE RELATED POSTS
- New York State Schools Reportedly Ban ChatGPT
- Microsoft May Invest $10 Billion on ChatGPT Creator
- ChatGPT Bug Reportedly Exposes Payment Info of Its Subscribers
- Italian Government Scholarships 2022/2023 For International Postgraduate Students | How to Apply
- ChatGPT Bug Exposes Conversation History of Users According To Reports
