As ChatGPT has grown in popularity, government agencies and regulators in several countries around the world have stepped up their efforts to investigate and regulate artificial intelligence. Recently, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) joined the call to regulate ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, asking the EU's consumer protection agency to investigate AI technology and its potential harm to individuals.
Since Open AI launched ChatGPT late last year, there has been a global AI boom, with Alphabet's Google, Amazon and Meta, among many other tech companies, announcing similar tools. But the AI boom has also caught the attention of regulators and consumer advocates.
Equal Ocean has learned that earlier this month, BEUC sent separate letters to the Consumer Safety Agency Network (CSN Network) and the Consumer Protection Agency Network (CPC Network) expressing concerns about artificial intelligence technology. The organization said that much of the content generated by chatbots appears authentic and reliable, but is often actually false, potentially misleading consumers and leading to deceptive advertising. The organization also emphasized that young consumers and children are more vulnerable to such risks. The organization also called on the CPC network to begin sharing information and investigating the safety risks of these products.
Since the Italian data protection authority announced a temporary ban on ChatGPT at the end of March, several European countries, including France, Germany and Spain, have launched investigations and regulatory actions against ChatGPT.
On April 13, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the EU's central data protection authority, announced that it was setting up a task force to help EU countries respond to ChatGPT, facilitate cooperation between EU countries, and exchange information on possible enforcement actions by data protection authorities.
Last week, MEPs tasked with drafting the AI bill also said they wanted to include provisions in the AI bill targeting AI tools such as ChatGPT. They argue that with the rapid development of AI in recent months, there is a need for a new set of rules tailored to AI tools.