NEW DELHI: If you are a ChatGPT user, this is not good news for you. According to a news report, OpenAI’s artificial intelligence-powered chatbot collected data from users, which was then used to train the algorithm. An inquiry by Italy’s Data Protection Authority (DPA) found data privacy violations pertaining to collecting personal data and age protections.
The regulatory body, in a statement, said the available evidence pointed to the existence of breaches of the provisions contained in the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). These are related to the mass collection of users’ data, which is then used to train the algorithm. The DPA is also concerned that younger users may be exposed to inappropriate content generated by the chatbot.
DPA launched a “fact-finding activity” at the time, which has now found data privacy violations. OpenAI has 30 days to respond with its defence. An OpenAI spokesperson said it would continue talks with the regulator.
In March 2023, Italy blocked the product citing privacy concerns, becoming the first Western country to do so. However, it was reinstated four weeks later, after stating it had successfully addressed or clarified the issues raised by the DPA.
How does ChatGPT work?
The startup OpenAI created the chatbot ChatGPT. It has human-like abilities to write poetry, plays, essays, and computer code. It even has the ability to communicate and own up to errors. GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. This implies that it uses information gathered from the internet to determine what to say. It then makes use of this entire text to “generate” answers .