best of the world Valuable and dominant internet companies are based in the United States, but the country’s inefficient lawmakers and business-friendly courts have effectively outsourced regulation from the giants. technology giant for the EU. That has given immense power to Didier Reynders, the European justice commissioner, who is responsible for drafting and enforcing legislation that applies across the 27-nation bloc. After nearly 4 years of working, he was tired of hearing rumors from the US without much action.
Ahead of his most recent six-month round of meetings with US officials, including attorney general Merrick Garland in Washington, DC, tomorrow, Reynders told WIRED why the US ultimately needs to intensified, where the investigation into ChatGPT is going and why he made controversial comments about one of the world’s most famous privacy activists. His two-coastal journey begins with a road robotaxi travels through San Francisco (he raved about it) and includes meetings with Google and California privacy experts.
On the cost of US inaction
It’s been five years since strict EU privacy laws, GDPR, in effect, giving Europeans new rights to protect and control their data. Reynders heard a series of suggestions on how the United States could follow suit, including from CEO MetaMark Zuckerberg and other tech executives, Facebook whistleblowerAnd members of Congress and federal officials. But he says there is no “real tracking.”
Although the US Federal Trade Commission has reach the settlements With tech companies demanding caution with user data at risk of fines, Reynders is cautious about their power. “I’m not saying this is nothing,” he said, but their lack of legislation leads to more painful fines or lawsuits. “Execution is key,” Reynders said. “And that’s the discussion we have with the US authorities.”
Now, Reynders fears history is repeating itself with AI regulation, leaving this kind of powerful technology unchecked. Tech leaders like Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT OpenAI developer, say they want new protectionsBut US legislators are unlikely to pass new legislation.
“If you have a common approach in the US and the EU, then we have the ability to come up with an international standard,” Reynders said. But if EU’s upcoming AI Act does not align with US rules on AI, it will be more difficult to get tech giants to fully comply and change the way the industry operates. “If you’re doing it alone, like for GDPR, for example, it’s going to take a while and it’ll slowly spread to other continents,” he said. “With real action on the part of the United States, together, it will be easier.”
About ChatGPT’s data gobbling and policy lobbying
ChatGPT is at the heart of both privacy and AI-specific regulatory efforts.
OpenAI in April updated privacy disclosure and preferences after the Italian data protection authority temporarily blocked ChatGPT, but the conclusion of a full investigation into the company’s GDPR compliance is due in October, the country’s regulator said. And the EU-wide data protection task force is expected by the end of the year to lay out common principles for all member states in handling ChatGPT, Reynders said. All of that could force OpenAI to make further adjustments to the chatbot’s data collection and retention.
Broadly speaking, while OpenAI’s Altman has Supported calls As for the new rules governing AI systems, he also expressed concern about over-regulation. In the May, thunder title that he has threatened to withdraw services from the EU. Altman has said that his comments were taken out of context and that he wanted to help define the policy.
Reynders said Altman has significant business incentive to make peace with the EU, which has a population about 100 million more people than the US. Reynders said: “We asked to have all the key stakeholders involved in the discussions. “We want to know their concerns and see if we can address that with legislation.” He asserted that OpenAI should not be afraid of the new AI rules. “I’ve seen Origin of OpenAI. The idea is exactly the same—developing new technology, but for a good cause,” Reynders said.
