Italy curbs ChatGPT, starts probe over privacy concerns
Italy's Data Protection Authority on Friday temporarily banned OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot and launched a probe over a suspected breach of the artificial intelligence application's data collection rules.
The agency, also known as Garante, accused Microsoft Corp-backed ChatGPT of failing to check the age of its users who are supposed to be aged 13 and above.
ChatGPT has an "absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" to "train" the chatbot, Garante said. OpenAI has 20 days to respond with remedies or could risk a fine of up to 4% of its annual worldwide turnover.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ChatGPT was still answering questions posted by Italian users on the platform on Friday evening.
The company was informed of the decision on Friday morning and it would have been materially impossible to pull the plug on access in Italy on the same day, but expect them to do it by Saturday, an authority spokesman said.
"If they ignore the ban, the authority can impose fines," the spokesman said.
Italy, which provisionally restricted ChatGPT's use of domestic users' personal data, became the first Western country to take action against a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence.
The chatbot is also unavailable in mainland China, Hong Kong, Iran and Russia and parts of Africa where residents cannot create OpenAI accounts.
Since its release last year, ChatGPT has set off a tech craze, prompting rivals to launch similar products and companies to integrate it or similar technologies into their apps and products.
The rapid development of the technology has attracted attention from lawmakers in several countries. Many experts say new regulations are needed to govern AI
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