ChatGPT faces complaint for ‘uncorrectable errors’ | Inquirer Technology
Austrian privacy rights group suing

ChatGPT faces complaint for ‘uncorrectable errors’

/ 04:23 AM April 30, 2024
A photo taken on February 26, 2024 shows the logo of the ChatGPT application developed by US artificial intelligence research organization OpenAI on a smartphone screen (L) and the letters AI on a laptop screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
A photo taken on February 26, 2024 shows the logo of the ChatGPT application developed by US artificial intelligence research organization OpenAI on a smartphone screen (L) and the letters AI on a laptop screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

VIENNA—A Vienna-based privacy campaign group said on Monday it would file a complaint against ChatGPT in Austria, claiming the “hallucinating” flagship AI tool invents wrong answers, which creator OpenAI cannot correct.

NOYB (“None of Your Business”) said there was no way to guarantee the program provided accurate information.

“ChatGPT keeps hallucinating—and not even OpenAI can stop it,” the group said in a statement.

Article continues after this advertisement

The company has openly acknowledged it cannot correct inaccurate information produced by its generative AI tool and has failed to explain where the data comes from and what ChatGPT stores about individuals, said the group.

FEATURED STORIES

‘No the other way around’

Such errors are unacceptable for information about individuals because EU law stipulates that personal data must be accurate, NOYB argued.

“If a system cannot produce accurate and transparent results, it cannot be used to generate data about individuals,” said Maartje de Graaf, data protection lawyer at NOYB.

Article continues after this advertisement

“The technology has to follow the legal requirements, not the other way around.”

Article continues after this advertisement

ChatGPT “repeatedly provided incorrect information” about the birth date of NOYB founder Max Schrems “instead of telling users that it doesn’t have the necessary data,” said the group.

Article continues after this advertisement

OpenAI refused Schrems’ request to rectify or erase the data despite it being incorrect, saying it was impossible, NOYB added.

It also “failed to adequately respond” to his request to access his personal data, again in violation of EU law, said NOYB, and the firm “seems to not even pretend that it can comply.”

Article continues after this advertisement

The campaign group, which has emerged as a fierce critic of tech giants since its creation in 2018, said it was asking Austria’s data protection authority to investigate and fine OpenAI to bring it in line with EU law.

Tech frenzy

Bursting onto the scene in November 2022, ChatGPT sparked a frenzy among tech users dazzled by its ability to reel off dissertations, poems or translations in mere seconds.

But criticism of the technology has since prompted legal action in some countries.

Italy temporarily blocked the program in March 2023, while France’s regulatory authority began an investigation after a series of complaints.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

A European working group has also been set up to improve coordination, although NOYB remains skeptical about the authorities’ efforts to regulate AI. —AFP

TOPICS:
TAGS:

No tags found for this post.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.