Italy Bans ChatGPT: Understand Why a Chatbot Is Banned and If There Are Risks | Internet

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence from technology company OpenAI, was banned from operating in Italy last Friday (31). The platform’s activities were suspended by law after it was suspected of disclosing sensitive personal information to users of its premium version. This action was the first by a Western country to prevent an AI tool from working.

The chatbot, which was launched in November last year, grabs the attention of Internet users for the specific and contextual answers it provides. According to the Italian Data Protection Agency, the chatbot will remain blocked until it adjusts to applicable EU data protection law. Next, check out more information about what happened to the smart bot.

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Why did Italy ban ChatGPT?

ChatGPT was banned in Italy after verification by the country’s Data Protection Agency, which indicated flaws in protecting the personal information of users of the chatbot’s premium version. And the same authority revealed, according to The Guardian, on March 20 that the artificial intelligence will have a bug responsible for leaking data such as name, email and banking information of users, such as the number of the credit card used in the purchase process.

If OpenAI refuses to make the necessary updates to ensure the safety of user data within a period of up to 20 days, the Italian authority will impose a fine of 20 million euros (110 million Brazilian reais, at current prices). One of the claims regarding the content of the procedure is the lack of specific regulations to coordinate the use of AI.

Are there any risks to the platform?

There have already been many discussions about whether or not there are risks with ChatGPT. One of the main concerns of specialists is the content of the information transmitted by the platform. Users have already indicated that the chatbot sends wrong replies and wrong information in some cases.

Additionally, another concern is the automatic collection of data from interactions with the platform, which has even caused Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, to come out publicly against using the tool. Another problem is the constant failures in data security.

According to Daniel Barbosa, a specialist at digital security company ESET, special care should be taken to avoid exposing users’ inside information. To this end, safeguards must be taken when providing sensitive information, such as using unique passwords and registering services with temporary cards, for example.

What does OpenAI say?

After the controversy, OpenAI, a technology company based in San Francisco, California, responded to the action with a statement from The New York Times. According to the statement, the company has already removed the service in Italy following a court decision and intends to maintain the safety of users’ personal information. “We’re actively working to reduce personal data in training our AI systems like ChatGPT because we want our AI to learn about the world, not individuals,” the company says. They also reported that they support the regulation of artificial intelligence.

Can other countries ban a chatbot?

ChatGPT has already been banned in countries like China, North Korea, Russia and Iran by the developer itself. On the other hand, according to the BBC website, with the ban in Italy, BEUC, the European Union’s consumer protection group, has requested an investigation into the company’s performance on the continent by arguing for the need to enact laws regulating the use of artificial intelligence. However, as of now, there is no specific information about the obligation of other countries to ban chatbots.

Recently, the nonprofit Future of Life Institute released an open letter with more than 2,000 signatures, including that of Elon Musk, calling for a halt to the development of artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT-4.

with information from Sh 1And New York timesAnd WatchmanAnd BBCAnd financial times

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