ChatGPT was charged by Italy of not verifying the age of its users, as the service is only intended for those who are at least 13 years old
The unexpected success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has garnered global attention, but Italy has brought it to a halt by issuing a temporary prohibition on the Microsoft-supported platform. The reason behind this decision is privacy-related, as Italy’s data protection agency has launched an investigation into ChatGPT.
Italy’s data protection agency cited a lack of legal justification for the extensive collection and retention of personal data used to train ChatGPT, as the reason for the country’s decision to ban the sophisticated chatbot. The agency further accused ChatGPT of not verifying the age of its users, a requirement reserved for individuals aged 13 and older. The privacy watchdog expressed apprehension regarding the absence of a filter to authenticate users’ age, which could lead to minors being exposed to inappropriate responses.
The Italian regulators have temporarily restricted the usage of Italian users’ personal data by ChatGPT. This action follows a recent data breach in which users were able to view other users’ chat histories. Open AI CEO Sam Altman recently criticized ChatGPT’s functionality, design, and capacity issues, referring to it as a “horrible product” in a podcast interview. A Belgian man’s suicide after engaging with an AI chatbot named ELIZA has raised concerns about better protection for citizens and increased awareness. In India, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has banned the use of the Artificial Intelligence-based ChatGPT in the upcoming class 10 and 12 board exams. Despite this, ChatGPT has gained immense popularity since its launch in November, revolutionizing the education industry by assisting students with their exams, essays, job application cover letters, code, and articles. Even Bill Gates has lauded the capabilities of ChatGPT and has stated that it will “transform our world.”
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