Exclusive-EU's Breton warns of ChatGPT risks, AI rules seek to tackle concerns

[February 03, 2023]  By Foo Yun Chee and Supantha Mukherjee
 
BRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -EU industry chief Thierry Breton said new artificial intelligence rules will aim to tackle concerns about the risks of ChatGPT and ensure Europeans can trust artificial intelligence technology, the first comments by a senior EU official amid concerns about the chatbot from OpenAI 

European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton arrives to attend the second plenary session of the Conseil National de la Refondation (CNR - National Council for Refoundation) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Just two months after its launch, ChatGPT which can generate articles, essays, jokes and even poetry in response to prompts, has become the fastest-growing consumer application in history, based on a UBS study with data from analytics firm Similarweb.

OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft Corp, made it available to the public for free in late November.

Breton said the risks posed by ChatGPT underscored the urgent need for AI rules which he proposed last year in a bid to set the global standard for a technology led by China and the United States and used in smartphones, self-driving cars, online shopping and factories.

"As showcased by ChatGPT, AI solutions can offer great opportunities for businesses and citizens, but can also pose risks. This is why we need a solid regulatory framework to ensure trustworthy AI based on high-quality data," he told Reuters in written comments.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels and Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm. Editing by Jane Merriman)

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