On 13 April, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) – Europe’s leading policy making body on data protection – launched a dedicated task force on ChatGPT.
The establishment of the task force reflects growing concern among EU Member States about the compliance of generative AI systems with data protection regulations and potential harm to citizens.
ChatGPT’s developer, OpenAI, already faces enforcement proceedings by the Italian Data Protection Authority for violations of personal data processing regulations and insufficient safeguards for minors. National investigation into the technology by other Member States such as Sweden, Germany, and France have put pressure on the EU to align policy and enforcement.
In light of this, Spain urgently called upon the EDPB during yesterday’s plenary meeting to address the alarming lack of policy and enforcement alignment across the EU. The EDPB’s role as a supervisory authority tasked with ensuring consistent application of the EU’s general data protection regulation (GDPR) has enabled the formation of this task force to address these concerns.
The debate over the regulation of AI development continues, and the task force will play a crucial role in determining how EU privacy rules will apply to generative AI systems. As the task force delves deeper into the issue of ChatGPT’s compliance with EU data protection rules, the industry and privacy advocates must closely monitor the developments of this critical debate, which will shape the direction of the tech industry and wider society for years to come.
Access Partnership is following closely the development of the EDPB’s dedicated task force on ChatGPT. To stay informed and get expert guidance on data protection compliance in the EU, contact Lydia Dettling at [email protected].
