Factbox: Governments race to regulate AI tools

Melco International Development

03/11/2023 10:05

(Updates section on Britain with further details from AI Safety
Summit)
       Nov 3 (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.

    BRITAIN
    * Planning regulations
    Leading AI developers agreed on Nov. 2 to work with
governments to test new frontier models before they are released
to help manage the risks of the developing technology, in a
"landmark achievement" at the first global AI Safety Summit in
Britain.
    More than 25 countries present at the summit, including the
U.S. and China, as well as the EU, on Nov. 1 signed a "Bletchley
Declaration" saying countries needed to work together and
establish a common approach on oversight.
    Britain said at the summit it would triple to 300 million
pounds ($364 million) its funding for the "AI Research
Resource", comprising two supercomputers which will support
research into making advanced AI models safe.
    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Oct. 26 said 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
    Wu Zhaohui, China's vice minister of science and technology,
told the opening session of the AI Safety Summit in Britain on
Nov. 1 that Beijing was ready to increase collaboration on AI
safety to help build an international "governance framework".
    China published proposed security requirements for firms
offering services powered by generative AI in October, 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", inching closer to a broader agreement on
the landmark AI Act which is expected in December, according to
five people familiar with the matter.
    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". 

    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 in September
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
    The U.S. will launch an AI safety institute to evaluate
known and emerging risks of so-called "frontier" AI models,
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said on Nov. 1 during the AI
Safety Summit in Britain.
    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. 
    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 Milla Nissi)
 ((alessandro.parodi@thomsonreuters.com))