OpenAI, a research organization based in San Francisco, has blocked access to its generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in Italy due to concerns over data privacy. This move was prompted by a local data protection authority ordering OpenAI to stop processing data of Italians for ChatGPT service. The authority, the Garante, has opened an investigation into ChatGPT over suspected breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
OpenAI has refunded all users who had bought the ChatGPT Plus subscription service in Italy last month, and has temporarily paused subscription renewals in the country. The company has also applied a geoblock, which means that using a VPN to switch to a non-Italian IP address could offer a simple workaround for the block.
OpenAI’s statement to users trying to access ChatGPT from an Italian IP address
We regret to inform our users in Italy that ChatGPT is currently unavailable to them due to a data protection authority order. We have refunded all recent ChatGPT Plus subscription fees and paused subscription renewals in Italy. We are working to restore access as soon as possible and appreciate your patience as we address the compliance issues raised by the authority.
The regulator has raised concerns over the accuracy of the information the chatbot provides, particularly its tendency to sometimes produce erroneous information about named individuals, which AI makers refer to as “hallucinating.” OpenAI has not informed anyone whose online data it found and used to train the technology, nor has it been entirely open about the data it’s processing for the latest iteration of its model, GPT-4.
The Impact of ChatGPT’s Block in Italy
The decision to block ChatGPT in Italy highlights the growing concern over the potential misuse of AI language models. While the specific reasons for the block are not yet clear, it is likely that the Italian government is taking a cautious approach to the use of these models to ensure that they are not used to spread disinformation or commit other forms of fraud.
However, the block also raises questions about the impact of such measures on the development and advancement of AI language models. Will other countries follow Italy’s lead and impose similar restrictions? And if so, how will this affect the future of natural language processing and AI in general?
OpenAI claims that it is committed to protecting people’s privacy and that it believes that it offers ChatGPT in compliance with GDPR and other privacy laws. The company has said that it will engage with the Garante with the goal of restoring access to the service as soon as possible. However, it is not clear how OpenAI can address the compliance issues raised by the Garante.
OpenAI is facing the highest level of GDPR exposure, as it has no main establishment in the EU. Any of the bloc’s data protection authorities are empowered to regulate ChatGPT, meaning that all other EU member countries’ authorities could choose to investigate the company and issue fines for any breaches they find. Penalties for confirmed breaches of the GDPR can scale up to 4% of a data processor’s annual global turnover or €20m, whichever is greater.
