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Canada is investigating OpenAI for data use and disclosure

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Canada announced on Tuesday that it’s launching an investigation into OpenAI in response to a complaint stating that the company is collecting, using and disclosing personal information without consent. The investigation will be led by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC). 

The investigation is active with no additional details being available at the moment. However, OPC isn’t the only body looking into AI. Last week, Hundreds of global experts and named figures in the tech industry like Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak called for a six-month pause on the training of all AI models more powerful than GPT-4 in a letter produced by the Freedom of Life Institute. The letter goes on to state that AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity.

Italy also blocked ChatGPT over concerns regarding data use on Friday with the Europol warning that criminals are already taking advantage of the AI-based chatbot to commit fraud and other cybercrimes. As for the OPC itself, privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne hasn’t said anything extreme, but he did claim that “AI technology and its effects on privacy is a priority” for his office. He also pointed out the need to “keep up with – and stay ahead of – fast-moving technological advances”, one of his key focus areas as commissioner. 

Regardless of the legal hoops and warnings, tech giants like Microsoft and Google have already dumped billions into AI research with Microsoft integrating GPT-4 with just about every tool and service it offers. Google’s BARD did get off to a terrible start at its debut event, but it’s also seeing regular updates and developments to bring it up to speed. 

In its current state, ChatGPT is already being considered a potential competitor to Google’s search engine, something quite unnerving for the latter. Additionally, with GPT-4, OpenAI is now able to access much more data making the chatbot all the more impressive. 

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Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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