Factbox: Governments race to regulate AI tools

Melco International Development

31/10/2023 13:12

(Updates G7 and the U.S.)
       Oct 31 (Reuters) - Rapid advances in artificial
intelligence (AI) such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT are
complicating governments' efforts to agree laws governing the
use of the technology.
    Here are the latest steps national and international
governing bodies are taking to regulate AI tools:

    AUSTRALIA
    * Planning regulations
    Australia will make search engines draft new codes to
prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material created by AI
and the production of deepfake versions of the same material,
its internet regulator said in September.

    BRITAIN
    * Planning regulations
    Governments and companies need to address the risks of AI
head on, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Oct. 26 ahead of the
first global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park on Nov. 1-2.
    Sunak added Britain would set up the world's first AI safety
institute to "understand what each new model is capable of,
exploring all the risks from social harms like bias and
misinformation through to the most extreme risks".
    Britain's data watchdog said on Oct. 10 it had issued Snap
Inc's  SNAP.N  Snapchat with a preliminary enforcement notice
over a possible failure to properly assess the privacy risks of
its generative AI chatbot to users, particularly children.

    CHINA
    * Implemented temporary regulations
    China published proposed security requirements for firms
offering services powered by generative AI on Oct. 12, including
a blacklist of sources that cannot be used to train AI models.
    The country issued a set of temporary measures in August,
requiring service providers to submit security assessments and
receive clearance before releasing mass-market AI products.

    EUROPEAN UNION
    * Planning regulations
    European lawmakers agreed on Oct. 24 on a critical part of
new AI rules outlining the types of systems that will be
designated "high risk", and inched closer to a broader agreement
on the landmark AI Act, according to five people familiar with
the matter. An agreement is expected in December, two
co-rapporteurs said.
    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sept.
13 called for a global panel to assess the risks and benefits of
AI.

    FRANCE
        * Investigating possible breaches
    France's privacy watchdog said in April it was investigating
complaints about ChatGPT.

    G7
        * Seeking input on regulations
    The Group of Seven countries agreed on Oct. 30 to an
11-point code of conduct for firms developing advanced AI
systems, which "aims to promote safe, secure, and trustworthy AI
worldwide". 
    G7 leaders had in May called for the development and
adoption of technical standards to keep AI "trustworthy" at a
ministerial forum dubbed the "Hiroshima AI process".

    ITALY
        * Investigating possible breaches
    Italy's data protection authority plans to review AI
platforms and hire experts in the field, a top official said in
May. ChatGPT was temporarily banned in the country in March, but
it was made available again in April.

    JAPAN
        * Investigating possible breaches
    Japan expects to introduce by the end of 2023 regulations
that are likely closer to the U.S. attitude than the stringent
ones planned in the EU, an official close to deliberations said
in July.
    The country's privacy watchdog has warned OpenAI not to
collect sensitive data without people's permission.

    POLAND
        * Investigating possible breaches
    Poland's Personal Data Protection Office said on Sept. 21 it
was investigating OpenAI over a complaint that ChatGPT breaks EU
data protection laws.

    SPAIN
    * Investigating possible breaches
    Spain's data protection agency in April launched a
preliminary investigation into potential data breaches by
ChatGPT.

    UNITED NATIONS
    * Planning regulations
    The U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Oct. 26
announced the creation of a 39-member advisory body, composed of
tech company executives, government officials and academics, to
address issues in the international governance of AI.
    The U.N. Security Council held its first formal discussion
on AI in July, addressing military and non-military applications
of AI that "could have very serious consequences for global
peace and security", Guterres said at the time.

    U.S.
    * Seeking input on regulations
    President Joe Biden issued a new executive order on Oct. 30
to require developers of AI systems that pose risks to U.S.
national security, the economy, public health or safety to share
the results of safety tests with the government.
    The U.S. Congress in September held hearings on AI and an AI
forum featuring Meta  META.O  CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO
Elon Musk.
    More than 60 senators took part in the talks, during which
Musk called for a U.S. "referee" for AI. Lawmakers said there
was universal agreement about the need for government regulation
of the technology.
    On Sept. 12, the White House said Adobe  ADBE.O , IBM
 IBM.N , Nvidia  NVDA.O  and five other firms had signed Biden's
voluntary commitments governing AI, which require steps such as
watermarking AI-generated content.
    A Washington D.C. district judge ruled in August that a work
of art created by AI without any human input cannot be
copyrighted under U.S. law.
    The U.S. Federal Trade Commission opened in July an
investigation into OpenAI on claims that it has run afoul of
consumer protection laws.

 (Compiled by Alessandro Parodi and Amir Orusov in Gdansk;
editing by Kirsten Donovan, Mark Potter, Christina Fincher and
Milla Nissi)
 ((alessandro.parodi@thomsonreuters.com))