Is OpenAI’s ChatGPT generating false information? Probe launched

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently investigating OpenAI, the creator of the popular ChatGPT app, over concerns that ChatGPT generating false information.

The investigation raises questions about potential harm to consumers and misuse of user data through OpenAI’s technology.

In the letter to OpenAI, the FTC requested information about incidents in which consumers were wrongly disparaged and details about the company’s efforts to prevent such incidents from happening again. The inquiry comes as regulators increasingly scrutinize the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

FTC Chair Lena Khan expressed her agency’s concerns about ChatGPT’s output during a congressional committee hearing, saying, “We have heard of reports where someone else’s inquiry “In response to people’s sensitive information being exposed. Statements, completely false things that are emerging. This is the type of fraud and deception that we are concerned about.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who appeared before Congress earlier this year, acknowledged that the technology can be prone to errors. He stressed the need for regulations and the creation of a new agency to oversee AI safety.

The FTC’s investigation focuses not only on potential harm to consumers but also on OpenAI’s data privacy practices and the methods used to train and inform AI technology. The company’s major language model, GPT-4, forms the basis of ChatGPT and is licensed to several other companies for their own applications.

Although OpenAI has made efforts to increase the security and reliability of ChatGPT, concerns about offensive or inaccurate content generated by AI models remain.

In April, Italy banned the use of ChatGPT due to privacy concerns, only reinstating it after OpenAI implemented age verification tools and provided additional information about its privacy policies.

OpenAI and the FTC have not yet commented on the ongoing investigation.

As the use of AI technology, particularly large language models, becomes more popular, it is critical for regulators to address potential risks to consumers. The outcome of the FTC’s investigation will impact not only OpenAI, but the broader AI industry as well, as companies race to develop and deploy similar technologies while grappling with issues of accuracy, privacy, and user protection.