OpenAI Hit with Privacy Complaint over Faulty AI-Generated Data

Austrian data protection group Noyb has filed a privacy complaint against OpenAI, alleging that its ChatGPT chatbot provides false information and refuses to correct or erase it. The complaint argues that OpenAI's actions violate EU privacy rules and highlights concerns about the accuracy and transparency of AI-generated data. Noyb has urged the Austrian data protection authority to investigate OpenAI's data processing practices and ensure compliance with EU law.

OpenAI Faces Privacy Complaint Over Alleged Inaccurate and Untraceable AI-Generated Data

In a groundbreaking move, the data rights protection advocacy group Noyb has filed a complaint against OpenAI, the renowned artificial intelligence (AI) developer, alleging violations of privacy rules within the European Union (EU). The complaint stems from concerns over incorrect information provided by OpenAI's generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, and the company's alleged refusal to address or provide transparency into its data handling practices.

According to Noyb, the complainant, an unnamed public figure, sought information about themselves from ChatGPT, only to receive repeated instances of inaccurate data. Upon requesting corrections or erasure of the erroneous information, OpenAI reportedly denied their request, claiming it was not feasible. Furthermore, OpenAI declined to disclose details about the training data used for ChatGPT and its sources.

Maartje de Graaf, a data protection lawyer at Noyb, expressed the group's concerns in a statement: "If a system cannot produce accurate and transparent results, it cannot be used to generate data about individuals. The technology has to follow the legal requirements, not the other way around."

The complaint underscores the growing scrutiny faced by AI-driven language models, particularly regarding their potential implications for data privacy and accuracy. Noyb has taken its case to the Austrian data protection authority, requesting an investigation into OpenAI's data processing practices and the measures it employs to ensure the accuracy of personal data processed by its large language models.

"It's clear that companies are currently unable to make chatbots like ChatGPT comply with EU law when processing data about individuals," de Graaf stated.

Noyb, also known as the European Center for Digital Rights, is based in Vienna, Austria, and has been instrumental in pursuing legal actions and media initiatives to uphold the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.

The complaint against OpenAI is not an isolated incident. In December 2023, a study conducted by two European nonprofit organizations exposed inaccuracies and misleading information provided by Microsoft's Bing AI chatbot, rebranded as Copilot, during political elections in Germany and Switzerland. The chatbot furnished incorrect details about candidates, polls, scandals, and voting procedures, while misrepresenting its sources.

Furthermore, Google faced criticism for its Gemini AI chatbot's "woke" and inaccurate image generation capabilities. The company apologized for the incident and announced plans to refine its model.

These incidents highlight the urgent need for greater transparency, accountability, and adherence to legal frameworks by companies developing and deploying AI-powered chatbots. The potential for misuse of personal data, dissemination of misinformation, and algorithmic bias calls for robust regulatory oversight and ethical considerations to safeguard individuals' privacy rights in the digital age.