Helen Dixon warns against rushing chatbot bans, MIT sees no resolution

In a Bloomberg conference, Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon expressed her opinion concerning the regulation of generative AI systems like Open AI's ChatGPT. Discussing the category, Dixon explained that thousands of ChatGPT equivalents require regulation, and governing bodies must develop rules that are fit for purpose. In terms of the DPC, Dixon said, "where we are at is trying to understand a little bit more about the technology, about the large language models, about where the training data is sourced... So I think it's early days, but it's time to be having those conversations now rather than rushing into prohibitions that really aren't going to stand up."

A related article by the MIT Technology Review argues Open AI's hunger for data is now coming back to bite. It warns the company may be breaking data protection laws and doesn't see a solution. Experts are saying that "it will be next to impossible for OpenAI to comply with the rules," given the way data is used to train AI models. If the company is unable to convince regulators that its data practices are legal, it could not only face bans in specific member states but potentially the entire European Union. There's also the possibility of large fines and potentially even being forced to delete both the models and the data used to train them.

Meanwhile, in a piece for the IAPP, Hogan Lovells Partner Eduardo Ustaran writes that the recent wave of policy and regulatory responses concerning how best to control artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, ranging from risk management to all-out bans, would be "ineffective, as it would be counterproductive." Instead, Ustaran proposes a more realistic alternative path to "help it achieve its potential rather than try to stop it in its tracks."