Causes.com
| 7.13.23

FTC Investigates Creator of ChatGPT, OpenAI

Should the FTC wait for substantial harm before regulating AI?

What's the story?

  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into OpenAI, the tech start-up behind ChatGPT. 
  • The agency sent a 20-page letter to OpenAI, inquiring about the company's security practices and requesting information on how it trains its AI models and handles personal data. 
  • The FTC is also investigating potential harm to consumers caused by data collection and providing false information, which poses the largest regulatory threat to OpenAI so far. 

OpenAI under pressure

  • In March 2023, Italy's data protection authority banned ChatGPT, accusing OpenAI of unlawful data collection and the absence of an age-verification system to protect minors from inappropriate content. OpenAI later reinstated access to ChatGPT after making the changes requested by the Italian authority.
  • AI experts, policymakers, and public figures signed a statement published by the Center for AI Safety, emphasizing the need to address the risk of global extinction caused by artificial intelligence. 
  • Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) circulated a broad framework for regulating artificial intelligence called the "Safe Innovation Framework for AI Policy."

FTC vs. Artificial intelligence

  • Previously, the FTC initiated investigations following significant public mistakes by companies, such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018.
  • In this case, the FTC is acting faster than usual, launching an investigation less than a year after OpenAI released ChatGPT.
  • Lina Khan, chair of FTC, believes that tech companies should be regulated when their technologies are new and emerging rather than waiting until they are fully developed. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Khan wrote: 

"Enforcers have the dual responsibility of watching out for the dangers posed by new A.I. technologies while promoting the fair competition needed to ensure the market for these technologies develops lawfully. The F.T.C. is well equipped with legal jurisdiction to handle the issues brought to the fore by the rapidly developing A.I. sector, including collusion, monopolization, mergers, price discrimination and unfair methods of competition."

 

What do you think? Should the FTC wait for substantial harm before regulating AI?

 

-Laura Woods

(Image credit: Unsplash)

  • 41.0k
    Brian
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    We need proactive investigation and legislation to prevent AI from causing damage to our society. If Chat GPT and other AI systems are spreading false information or causing harm in any ways, then we need action as soon as possible.

    I'm glad the FTC is taking this approach, even though I think it could have happened sooner, and I hope at least the executive branch will act quickly as warranted. 

    Congress has shown it's too slow and unable to be innovative when it comes to new technologies.

  • 2,303
    Martha
    07/14/2023

    HELL NO!!!!!  We already have an idea of the harm this shit can casue, so why wait until it reeks real destructive damage.  Prevention is always better than waiting until the harm is done and then trying to play catch-up.  Yes, I know our political leaders don't have enough sense to operate in that manner, but hope springs eternal that they might actually do something beneficial for a change.

  • 854
    Larry
    Voted Yes
    07/14/2023

    Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

  • 7,230
    M
    Voted No
    07/13/2023

    Regulate a AI now, don't wait until congress understands it. Make it a priority. Get invators on you staff. Get the best. Get them from those companies. Also, regulate tech. You are way behind the eight ball, at least start with the European model. Inaction is at our own peril...and we are already in trouble. 

  • 22.7k
    Frank_001
    07/14/2023

    There is a wave of fear of AI. Many commenters are already expressing a high degree of wariness.

    Ever go to the police to report a threat?  I have known several people who have.

    The police basically tell you they can't do much.

    Let’s not let fear make us stupid. There are legitimate concerns but in those I have my doubts: An example Sarah Silver is claiming a copyright violation for the ingestion of her material by an AI.

    IRL many people imitate others' styles but not their acts verbatim. The imitators aren't sued. Hell, SNL and others would be sued weekly; but, instead, they are protected.

     

  • 8,601
    Charles
    Voted No
    07/18/2023

    STOP THE HARM NOW!!!!!

  • 84.7k
    LeslieG
    Voted No
    07/17/2023

    There is already harm according to existing lawsuits so FTC should use that as a starting point to take action.

    There are already several lawsuits globally against ChatGPT over invasion of privacy, intellectual property rights, defamation, exposing minors to inappropriate content, etc, as well as the actors and writers guilds restricting use.

    From an academic or research perspective not correctly referencing sources is plagiarism and only Bing provides references unlike ChatGPT but they are sometimes incorrect.

    In addition there may be liability associated with people taking action based on inaccurate or incomplete information.

    “Silverman sued ChatGPT-maker OpenAI for copyright infringement this week…and bestselling novelists Mona Awad and Paul Tremblay, concerns about the tech industry’s AI-building practices have gained traction in literary and artist communities.”

    “…open letter organized by the Authors Guild and signed by more than 4,000 writers. “You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited….prominent authors — among them Nora Roberts, Margaret Atwood, Louise Erdrich and Jodi Picoult — signed a letter late last month to the CEOs of OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and other AI developers accusing them of exploitative practices in building chatbots that “mimic and regurgitate” their language, style and ideas”

    “authors aren’t necessarily asking tech companies to throw away their algorithms and training data and start over — though the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has set a precedent for forcing companies to destroy ill-gotten AI data. But some way of compensating writers is needed, he said.”

    "AI has also become a central issue in the writers strike, displacing more familiar fears like the rise of streaming and the decline of residuals. Writers on the picket lines fear that movie studios will use AI to write scripts – either in whole or in part – diminishing the role of writers or even making the job obsolete."

    “you may see responses that sound convincing but are incomplete, inaccurate, or inappropriate. Use your own judgment and double check the facts before making decisions or taking action “

    “The Italian Garante launched an investigation into OpenAI on a recent data breach and lack of age verification to protect younger users from inappropriate generative AI content during registration.”

    “The Italian Garante launched an investigation into OpenAI on a recent data breach and lack of age verification to protect younger users from inappropriate generative AI content during registration.”

    “Germany, Ulrich Kelber, a spokeswoman for the region’s Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, said a ban similar to those in other nations could follow if OpenAI violates GDPR or similar policies.”

    “Canada, too, appears to be following suit after its Office of the Privacy Commissioner launched an investigation into a complaint against ChatGPT collecting personal data without consent.”

    “mayor in Australia may sue OpenAI for defamation over inaccurate information about him provided by ChatGPT.”

    “GitHub Copilot faces a class action lawsuit over the legal rights of the creators of the open-source coding in Copilot training data.”

    “Sta­bil­ity AI, DeviantArt, and Mid­jour­ney face a class action lawsuit over the use of StableDiffusion, which used copyrighted art in its training data.”

    “Getty Images filed legal proceedings against Stability AI for using Getty Images’ copyrighted content in training data.”

    https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/wga-ai-writers-strike-technology-ban-1235610076/

    https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/7/23589536/microsoft-bing-ai-chat-inaccurate-results

    https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chatgpt-legal-woes/484323/

    https://apnews.com/article/sarah-silverman-suing-chatgpt-openai-ai-8927025139a8151e26053249d1aeec20

  • 1,126
    colin
    Voted No
    07/16/2023

    Not a tech-savvy person but a 74-year-old that has a curiosity of a 10-year-old. I have used this new AI CHAT GBT and have seen what even I can do. Control it before we find ourselves under a continuous attack by users of it.

  • 492
    Kathy
    Voted No
    07/15/2023

    Regulate now! Don't wait for a disaster, haven't we learned this yet?🤦‍♀️

  • 15.6k
    Joanne
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    Waiting to regulate AI until severe harm occurs is like going to the hospital for a nonlifethreatening bullet wound and the hospital waits until gangrene sets in to treat it.

  • 308
    IndyVoter
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    the FTC should look into and regulate Artificial Intelligence BEFORE any major harm occurs. this will prevent injury to individuals and businesses. I SUPPORT the FTC inquiry to chat gpt. 

  • 3,479
    Kevin
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    I think trouble is already being caused.

  • 1,927
    Paul
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    Start now as we mean to continue; otherwise, this will turn into a monster that will eat trust and facts alive. 

  • 1,753
    Dawn
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    Why the HELL would anyone WAIT for something bad to happen rather than cut it off immediately? 

  • 956
    Harry
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    The AI's potential for harm to Society, to individuals as well as to our democracy is huge.

    Rules need to be applied, robots do not have First Amendment Rights so making sure AI balances between liberal, progressive and Conservative view points should be mandated as well as a tracking system on any AI product.

     

    Owner of the AI to be held financially responsible for what its device does or how it is used.

  • 835
    Luleo
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    If the government waits until "substantial harm" from AI occurs, it will be too late.

     

    Just like the climate.

  • 283
    dionrdixon
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    The primary purpose of government should be to protect my freedoms from my neighbor's tyranny. In the case of these nascent AI technologies, regulation should address the potential harm that AI could cause and should be tailored to limit that harm while simultaneously balancing the ability to conduct research and make progress. Whether we continue to advance the field of AI or not, our adversaries will.

  • 3,085
    Steph
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    No.  It should be regulated now.  Once the harm is done there IS no going back.

  • 161
    Theresa
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    Closing the door after the horse escapes does not work. This is potentially a very disruptive technology and we need to look at it closely

  • 210
    Edward
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    Without regulations, how can those with bad intent be prosecuted? There needs to be defined rules and penalties.

    We are not talking about new equipment or technology whos impact takes years to make a differnce, us of this will be steep exponential and a go to with those who have bad intent.

    Hard enough to stop my mom from clicking on scams already.

  • 2,556
    George
    Voted No
    07/14/2023

    Need expert advice to control AI!