The ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool was temporarily banned in Italy on Friday, the first known instance of the chatbot being blocked by a government order.
Italian Data Protection Authority saying OpenAI, the California company that makes ChatGPT, collected personal data from users illegally and did not have an age verification system in place to prevent minors from being exposed to illegal material.
Italy is the first government to ban ChatGPT as a result of privacy concerns. In China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran, the service is unavailable because OpenAI decided not to make it accessible.
Italy’s decision is a sign of the political challenges emerging for cutting-edge AI developers after the release of ChatGPT. The program has dazzled users with its ability to write essays, participate in human conversations, and perform more complex tasks like writing computer code, but it has raised alarms about the spread of misinformation, the effects on employment, and broader risks to the society.
This week, more than 1,000 technology leaders and researchers called for a moratorium on the development of the most advanced artificial intelligence systems so that security policies can be implemented. The Center for AI and Digital Policy, an advocacy group that pushes for the ethical use of technology, has asked the US Federal Trade Commission to prevent OpenAI from releasing new commercial versions of ChatGPT.
In Italy, regulators have told OpenAI to block Internet users in the country from gaining access to ChatGPT until the company provides additional information. The company has 20 days to deliver the material and possible remedies to the agency before a final decision can be made on the future of the product in the country.
Regulators cited a March 20 data breach that exposed conversations and payment details of some users. The agency said OpenAI could be fined up to 20 million euros (about $22 million) or 4 percent of its annual worldwide revenue.
In a statement, OpenAI said it had disabled ChatGPT for users in Italy and was committed to protecting people’s privacy.
“We actively work to reduce personal data in training our AI systems like ChatGPT because we want our AI to learn about the world, not private individuals,” the company said. “We also believe that AI regulation is necessary.”
As of 5 pm on Friday in Italy, word had not yet reached the chatbot that it would be blocked in the country. Asked by a user if he would be banned in Italy due to privacy concerns, ChatGPT replied: “There should be no concerns.”
“I am an artificial intelligence language model that can be accessed from anywhere in the world as long as there is an internet connection,” the chatbot said.
emma bubola contributed reporting.
