OpenAI, the corporation behind ChatGPT, has officially resumed operations in Italy after satisfying the demands of the data protection authority before April 30, 2023, deadline.
The Associated Press initially reported the news. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, tweeted,
The reinstatement comes after Garante’s decision to temporarily block access to the popular AI chatbot service in Italy on March 31, 2023, over concerns that its practices violate data protection laws in the area.
VPN use surges in Italy after OpenAI geo-blocks ChatGPT
What have they done?
Generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Google Bard mainly rely on vast amounts of information freely accessible online and the data its users provide during their interactions.
“OpenAI released a new FAQ and stated that it filters and removes content such as hate speech, adult material, sites that primarily aggregate personal data, and spam.”
The company also emphasized that it does not “actively search for personal information to train our models” and that it “will not use any personal information in training data to create profiles about individuals, contact them, advertise to them, try to sell them anything, or sell the data itself.”
However, the company acknowledged that ChatGPT responses might include
- personal information about public figures and other individuals whose details are available on the public internet.
European users who object to such processing of their personal information can do so by completing an online form and exercising their right to correct, limit, delete, or transfer their personal information included in its training dataset.
A step ahead
- The Garante, in a related announcement, stated that OpenAI has also agreed to include an option to verify users’ ages to ensure they are over 18 before gaining access to ChatGPT or have obtained parental or guardian consent if between the ages of 13 and 18.
- OpenAI is also expected to implement a more rigorous age verification system to prevent minors from accessing the service.
- OpenAI introduced a new privacy setting that allows users to turn off chat history and an export option to access the types of information stored by ChatGPT.
The watchdog states that it will continue its “fact-finding activities regarding OpenAI” as part of a task force established by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).
Retrospectively…
One must not think that technology has taken us over. After all, humans are the creators of technology. The ChatGPT ban in Italy shows that nations must be strict towards their privacy and cultural concerns and take a stand to protect both. The technology providers, in this way, not only introduce a technology but will keep it fit for humans to use without any abuse.
PureVPN
May 2, 2023
1 year ago
