ChatGPT in spotlight as EU's Breton bats for tougher AI rules

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03/02/2023 14:12

(Adds details on AI Act, comments from Breton, AI companies)
    By Foo Yun Chee and Supantha Mukherjee
       BRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM, Feb 3 (Reuters) - EU industry chief
Thierry Breton has said new proposed artificial intelligence
rules will aim to tackle concerns about the risks around the
ChatGPT chatbot and AI technology, in the first comments on the
app by a senior Brussels official.
     Just two months after its launch, ChatGPT - which can
generate articles, essays, jokes and even poetry in response to
prompts - has been rated the 
    fastest-growing
     consumer app in history.
  
    Some experts have raised 
    fears
     that systems used by such apps could be misused for
plagiarism, fraud and spreading misinformation, even as
champions of artificial intelligence hail it as a technological
leap.
  
Breton said the risks posed by ChatGPT - the brainchild of
OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft Corp  MSFT.O  -
and AI systems underscored the urgent need for rules which he
proposed last year in a bid to set the global standard for the
technology. The rules are currently under discussion in
Brussels.
    "As showcased by ChatGPT, AI solutions can offer great
opportunities for businesses and citizens, but can also pose
risks. This is why we need a solid regulatory framework to
ensure trustworthy AI based on high-quality data," he told
Reuters in written comments.
    Microsoft declined to comment on Breton's statement. OpenAI
- whose app uses a technology called generative AI - did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
  
     OpenAI has said on 
    its website
     it aims to produce artificial intelligence that "benefits
all of humanity" as it attempts to build safe and beneficial
AI. 
  
     Under the EU draft rules, ChatGPT is considered a general
purpose AI system which can be used for multiple purposes
including high-risk ones such as the selection of candidates for
jobs and credit scoring.
  
     Breton wants OpenAI to cooperate closely with downstream
developers of high-risk AI systems to enable their compliance
with the proposed AI Act. 
  
 "Just the fact that generative AI has been newly included in
the definition shows the speed at which technology develops and
that regulators are struggling to keep up with this pace," a
partner at a U.S. law firm, said.
     'HIGH RISK' WORRIES
  
     Companies are worried about getting their technology
classified under the "high risk" AI category which would lead to
tougher compliance requirements and higher costs, according to
executives of several companies involved in developing
artificial intelligence.
  
     A 
    survey by industry
     body appliedAI showed that 51% of the respondents expect a
slowdown of their AI development activities as a result of the
AI Act.
  
     Effective AI regulations should centre on the highest risk
applications, Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote in a blog
post on Wednesday.
  
     "There are days when I'm optimistic and moments when I'm
pessimistic about how humanity will put AI to use," he said.
  
     Breton said the European Commission is working closely with
the EU Council and European Parliament to further clarify the
rules in the AI Act for general purpose AI systems.
  
     "People would need to be informed that they are dealing
with a chat-bot and not with a human being. Transparency is also
important with regard to the risk of bias and false
information," he said.
  
     Generative AI models need to be trained on huge amount of
text or images for creating a proper response leading to
allegations of 
    copyright violations
    . 
  
     Breton said forthcoming discussions with lawmakers about AI
rules would cover these aspects.
  
     
    Concerns
     about plagiarism by students have prompted some U.S. public
schools and French university Sciences Po to ban the use of
ChatGPT.
  
 (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels and Supantha Mukherjee
in Stockholm. Editing by Jane Merriman, Matt Scuffham and Andrew
Heavens)
 ((mailto:foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6844;
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