ChatGPT gets temporarily banned in Italy for privacy issues
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The advancement of ChatGPT hit a speedbump Friday when Italy became the first Western nation to ban the artificial intelligence technology that software giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has thrown its weight behind.
Italy's Data Protection Authority put a temporary ban on ChatGPT usage in the country as it runs a probe to look into a possible breach in AI's data collection regulations. According to a report from Reuters, ChatGPT is lacking "any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" that is used to "train" the chatbot. The Italian authorities said OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has 20 days to respond to and provide methods of resolving the matter. If OpenAI doesn't respond in time, the company would potentially face a fine of 4% of its annual revenue turnover
According to Reuters, ChatGPT was still in operation as of Friday, as the timing of Italy's ban was such that it would take OpenAI at least a day to turn off the AI in the country.
Interest in ChatGPT took off recently after Microsoft (MSFT) agreed to what was called a "multi-year, multi-billion-dollar" partnership with OpenAI to develop and promote the AI technology.
Earlier this week, Tesla (TSLA) and Twitter (TWTR) Chief Executive Elon Musk, Apple (AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak highlighted a group of technology industry officials and academics who signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause in AI development in order for stronger safety standards for the technology to be put together.