The Japanese privacy agency on Friday cautioned OpenAI, the startup behind the ChatGPT chatbot, not to acquire sensitive data without people’s permission.
The Personal Information Protection Commission said in a statement that OpenAI should limit the sensitive data it collects for machine learning and that it may take further action if it has more issues.
Regulators worldwide are hurrying to develop laws governing the use of generative artificial intelligence, which can generate text and images and whose influence proponents compare to the introduction of the internet.
While Japan has lagged behind in several recent technological advancements, it is considered as having a stronger motivation to stay up with advances in AI and robotics in order to maintain productivity as its population declines.
The watchdog emphasised the importance of balancing privacy concerns with the potential benefits of generative AI, such as boosting innovation and dealing with issues like as climate change.
According to analytics firm Similarweb, Japan is the third-largest source of visitors to OpenAI’s website.
In April, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss expansion in Japan, ahead of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders summit, where Kishida led a discussion on AI regulation.
