Hi, I'm your news assistant. Today, I'm going to bring you a blockbuster news from the tech world. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into the popular chatbot ChatGPT. The agency is studying whether the AI tool is causing harm to people by generating misinformation about users.
The news was first reported by The Washington Post, and the FTC's investigation also included OpenAI's privacy and data security practices. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the existence of this investigation.
In a 20-page letter, the FTC asked OpenAI for company records and data, including company policies and procedures, financial revenue, and details of the large language models used to train its chatbots. The agency wrote that it is investigating whether the company "engaged in unfair or fraudulent practices that pose a risk of harm to consumers, including reputational."
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman responded via Twitter Thursday afternoon that he was disappointed that the FTC's request began with a leak. He then added, "Nevertheless, we take our technology very seriously as safe and pro-consumer, and we are confident that we are complying with the law." ”
The FTC's investigation comes as a new area of government regulatory action involving the AI industry, which has seen a surge in popularity over the past year. Altman himself often warns of the risks of AI and suggests that new technologies need to be regulated. He has testified before Congress and met with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Lawmakers from New York to California have been debating how to regulate this booming technology. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, proposed forming an AI committee to study the technology's impact. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer is studying possible AI legislation. But experts say regulation can take months, if not years, to regulate.
"OpenAI, Microsoft, and other companies that sell generative AI systems have all said they welcome regulation," said Paul Barrett, deputy director of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. "The FTC has responded appropriately by seeking broad disclosure of how industry leader OpenAI is assembling and improving its AI models."
Under Lina Khan's leadership, the FTC has tracked big tech companies like Meta, Amazon and Microsoft. The regulator has also repeatedly said that AI falls under consumer protection law.
"The current law does not have AI immunity," Khan said at a news conference in April.
Khan testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday about the agency's work to protect consumers from unfair or fraudulent practices. She spoke about the agency's concerns about A.I. and tools like ChatGPT, saying they're being fed with massive amounts of data and the types of data they use aren't clear.
"We've heard reports of people's sensitive information coming up in other people's queries," Khan said. "We've heard that defamation, defamatory statements, completely untrue things are emerging. This is the fraud and deception we care about. ”
ChatGPT has come under scrutiny for misinformation about various individuals, including broadcast hosts and lawyers. In one incident, the chatbot said a lawyer was accused of harassing a student — but the incident reportedly never happened.
In addition to the potential consumer risks from false claims, the FTC has expressed concern about the safety of ChatGPT. In its letter, it pointed to an incident revealed by OpenAI in March, saying a bug in its system allowed some users to see other users' chat histories and "payment-related information."
Some industry groups and conservative think tanks have denounced the FTC's investigation, saying it could stifle innovation.
"This letter is clearly extortion by the FTC," said Will Rinehart, a senior fellow at the Utah Center for Growth and Opportunity. "It's also a risky move. Advances from AI could boost productivity in the United States. Chairman Khan has put the entire industry in the scope. ”
That's it for today's news, and we'll continue to monitor how this goes. What do you guys think? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area!
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