OpenAI, creator of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, is under investigation by Canada’s Privacy Commissioner for collecting and using personal information without consent.
On April 4, The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) stated that its investigation was launched following a complaint from an unidentified person.
Chief Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne said his office is paying close attention to AI technology. to ensure that the privacy rights of Canadians are sufficiently protected:
“AI technology and its effects on privacy is a priority for my Office […] We have to keep up with – and stay ahead of – rapid technological advances, and that is one of my main areas of interest.”
The OPC has not commented further on the matter and has not mentioned the possibility of limiting Canadians’ access to ChatGPT.
Canada’s investigation comes as Germany, France, Ireland and Spain are studying possible measures against AI after the temporary blocking of ChatGPT in Italy.
March 31Italy’s data protection watchdog temporarily blocked the chatbot while it investigates an alleged data breach on the platform that took place on March 20.
The decision, however, caught the attention of Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who called the ban “excessive”. in an April 4 tweet.
Finding oggi i giornalisti strangeri in Italia ho ribadito mia contrarietà all’intervento del Guarantor della Privacy che has substantially messed with the side #ChatGPTa “chatbot” based on its artificial intelligence. pic.twitter.com/r7waRKoLCU
— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) April 4, 2023
In a meeting with foreign journalists held today in Italy, I have reiterated my opposition to the intervention of the Garante della Privacy, which has basically banned ChatGPT, a “chatbot” based on artificial intelligence
Germany also considers following the example of Italy.
On April 3, Ulrich Kelber, Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, told the local newspaper Handelsblatt that Germany could temporarily ban ChatGPT if its commission investigates whether the chatbot violates the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Privacy regulators in France and Ireland are also watching the Italian investigation and have contacted the Italian watchdog to ask what their ban is based on, according to a Reuters report on April 4.
Spain told Reuters it did not rule out a future investigation into ChatGPTbut stated that he had not received any complaints about the chatbot.
Although the OPC investigation focuses primarily on privacy, other entities have expressed their own concerns.
The Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy (CAIDP) filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission on March 30 in an attempt to stop the making of powerful AI systems available to consumers.
CAIDP claims that ChatGPT-4 violates Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among 12,800 signers of a March 22 petition calling on AI companies to “pause” advances in systems more powerful AI than the GPT-4 because they can pose “profound risks to society and humanity.”
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