ChatGPT’s Creator OpenAI Called for Softer AI Rules in EU

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The AI Act, a strict set of rules created to protect individuals against AI's continual improvements, is now being implemented in the EU. According to a recent article from Time, OpenAI has lobbied the EU to modify several portions of the AI Act before it becomes law.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's chief executive officer, has traveled the world for the past month, giving speeches to packed houses and meeting with heads of state about the need for global AI regulation.

According to documents about OpenAI's engagement with EU officials that TIME obtained from the European Commission through freedom of information requests, OpenAI has lobbied for significant elements of the most comprehensive AI legislation in the world—the EU's AI Act—to be watered down in ways that would reduce the company's regulatory burden.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has frequently spoken about introducing additional regulations for the burgeoning AI industry despite the lobbying. Recently, he and many other people signed an open letter opposing the development of AI because it could lead to an "extinction risk."

He has also written a blog and given talks about the need for stricter rules for AI.

Despite Altman's steadfast support for regulatory bodies, he has recently stated that OpenAI could cease operations in the EU if the law is passed.

OpenAI joins Microsoft and Google in calling for looser EU regulations for large-scale AI providers. In a 2022 submission, Time published a seven-page white paper in which OpenAI asks the EU to remove specific language that could list ChatGPT and other software it offers as high risk.

The lobbying has been successful, as the report points out that OpenAI's requests have influenced the law's final draft. This includes removing language that could have hurt how OpenAI works in a way that can't be fixed.

However, senior policy advisor for European Digital Rights Sarah Chander informed Time that OpenAI had received what "they asked for":

"OpenAI, like many Big Tech companies, has concealed their financial interest in weakening the regulation by using the utility and public benefit of AI argument."

The EU's AI Act focuses mainly on enhancing citizen protection. This includes ensuring safety, but as mentioned earlier, "jailbreaks" make it easy to get around this. However, due to the EU's large customer base, legislation frequently becomes law internationally.

Even though it is currently legal in Italy, it was one of the first EU nations to completely ban the use of ChatGPT, claiming that OpenAI violated the country's privacy laws.