On Friday, the privacy authority in Japan announced that it had issued a warning to OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed business that created the ChatGPT chatbot, asking them not to acquire sensitive data without people’s consent.
The development follows closely as the usage of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can generate text and images and whose effects some have compared to the advent of the internet, has regulators around the world scurrying to develop regulations.
Japan has lagged behind in certain recent technological advancements, but as its population is declining, it is seen to have a greater motivation to stay up with the latest developments in AI and robotics in order to sustain productivity.
The watchdog emphasized the need to strike a balance between privacy concerns and the potential advantages of generative AI, including boosting innovation and addressing issues like climate change.
The Personal Information Protection Commission stated in a statement that OpenAI should limit the sensitive data it gathers for machine learning, adding that it may take further action if it has more issues.