The agency also accused ChatGPT, which is financially
supported by Microsoft, of failing to check the age of its users. The app is
supposed to be reserved to people aged 13 and above.
The agency said in a note it had provisionally restricted
chatbot's use of Italian users' personal data.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to an emailed request for
a comment.
Since its release last year, ChatGPT has set off a tech
craze, prompting rivals to launch similar products and companies to integrate
it or similar technologies into their apps and products.
The Italian agency alleged "the absence of any legal
basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data in
order to 'train' the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform".
It is estimated to have reached 100 million monthly active
users in January, just two months after launch, making it the fastest-growing
consumer application in history, according to a UBS study published last month.
This week the European Union's law enforcement agency
Europol warned about the potential misuse of the chatbot in phishing attempts,
disinformation and cybercrime, adding to a chorus of concerns ranging from
legal to ethical issues.
Meanwhile, in India, the Punjab Haryana High Court on
Tuesday became the first court in India to have used ChatGPT technology
(artificial intelligence) to decide on the bail plea of an accused and it
rejected the petition. © Reuters