Italy has become the first western country to implement a nation-wide ban on OpenAI’s popular ‘ChatGPT’ AI chatbot due to privacy and security concerns raised by Italian authorities. The ban will be implemented with immediate effect, and an investigation into ChatGPT will be launched.
With a monthly visitor count exceeding 100 million, ChatGPT has become one of the most visited websites globally. The impressive chatbot has not only allowed users to get things done quickly, but it has also sparked an AI race in the tech industry, pushing both small and large tech firms to compete.
OpenAI struck a $10 billion deal with Microsoft, which is allowing both companies to scale exponentially, just months after launching the chatbot.
The Italian authorities raised concerns about the chatbot’s privacy and security on March 20th when a large amount of its conversations and payment information was leaked online. According to the GDPR, OpenAI has no legal basis for the mass collection and storage of personal data to train algorithms underlying the chatbot’s operation.
In addition to these concerns, the GDPR has pointed out that ChatGPT lacks a mechanism to verify users’ age, which could result in the chatbot providing answers unsuitable for minors, exposing them to unsuitable information.
The GDPR will investigate whether ChatGPT complies with other GDPR rules, and OpenAI has 20 days to address and resolve these issues; otherwise, the company could face a fine of €20 million or over 4% of its total revenue.
In conclusion, Italy’s decision to ban OpenAI’s ChatGPT is significant, as it highlights the need for strict data protection and privacy regulations governing the use, processing, and storage of personal data. The move also underscores the importance of implementing appropriate mechanisms to verify user age to ensure that minors are protected from accessing inappropriate content
