Italy has temporarily banned the use of ChatGPT following a data breach investigation, according to a report by AP.
The Italian Data Protection Authority stated that it was undertaking a provisional action "until ChatGPT respects privacy", including limiting the company's processing of Italian users' data.
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: In this photo illustration, the home page for the OpenAI "ChatGPT" app is displayed on a laptop screen on February 03, 2023 in London, England. OpenAI, whose online chatbot ChatGPT made waves when it was debuted in December, announced this week that a commercial version of the service, called ChatGPT Plus, would soon be available to users in the United States.
OpenAI Disables ChatGPT in Italy
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has disabled the software for Italian users at the request of the government. The company said it believes its practices comply with European privacy laws and hopes to make ChatGPT available again soon.
This marks the first nation-scale restriction of a popular AI tool by a democracy, according to Alp Toker, director of the advocacy group NetBlocks, which monitors internet access worldwide.
However, software applications from businesses that already have licenses with OpenAI to use the same technology driving the chatbot, such as Microsoft's Bing search engine, are unlikely to be affected by the restriction, as per AP.
The restriction only applies to the web version of ChatGPT, which boasts millions of users around the world.
OpenAI has been given 20 days by the Italian watchdog to report on the steps it has taken to protect the privacy of user data, it the company fails it might be fined up to 20 million euros (almost $22 million), or 4% of annual global revenue.
In its statement, the agency cited the EU's General Data Protection Regulation and mentioned a recent data breach involving "users' conversations" and subscriber payment information from ChatGPT.
OpenAI previously disclosed that it had to take ChatGPT offline on March 20 to address an issue that permitted certain users to view the titles or topic lines of other users' conversation histories.
The company added that 1.2% of ChatGPT Plus users may have accidentally shared personal information with another user. Concerns over the boom in artificial intelligence have led to the Italian watchdog's action.
A group of academics and executives from the tech industry recently wrote a letter urging businesses like OpenAI to postpone the creation of more potent AI models so that society has time to consider the hazards.
According to Italian state television, the petition was signed by the head of the privacy watchdog organization in Italy because "it's not clear what aims are being pursued" ultimately by those developing AI.
Read Also: Italy Wants OpenAI's ChatGPT Blocked - Why?
Altman's Six Continent Trip
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, revealed this week that he will visit six continents in May to meet with users and developers and discuss the technology.
This includes visits to Madrid, Munich, London, and Paris in addition to a scheduled stop in Brussels, where European Union legislators have been drafting extensive new regulations to restrict high-risk AI capabilities.
The EU's 27 member countries and the European consumer group BEUC asked for an investigation into ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots on Thursday.
BEUC stated that since it may be years until the EU's AI legislation is put into action, authorities must move quickly to safeguard consumers from potential threats.
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