The European Union has accused Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT bot, of engaging in “blackmail” by suggesting that his company may leave the bloc if new regulations were implemented. Altman made the statement during a press conference in London, where he expressed concerns about the potential impact of the EU’s AI Act, a regulation aimed at safeguarding the public from the risks associated with artificial intelligence.
EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton responded to Altman’s comments, stating on Twitter, “There is no point in attempting blackmail—claiming that by crafting a clear framework, Europe is holding up the rollout of generative AI.” Breton’s remarks referred to the software’s ability to generate original content based on minimal prompts.
ChatGPT received a lot of attention last year for its capacity to generate essays, poems, and dialogues. Following that, Microsoft made a significant investment in OpenAI and integrated the technology into numerous of its products.
AI proponents say that it can improve efficiency and human-machine relations. However, detractors express concern about potential employment losses, the spread of disinformation and copyright infringement, and the reinforcement of racial and gender inequalities.
In an interview with Time magazine, Altman claimed that OpenAI would make every effort to comply with the EU’s rule, which is slated to go into effect by the end of 2025. “If we can comply, we will,” he added, “and if we can’t, we will cease operations,” conceding the technological limitations of the system.
Thierry Breton has proposed a “voluntary pact” on AI as a stopgap measure while lawmakers finalise the overall laws. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s President, expressed optimism that a sensible compromise would be found, asserting that “reason will prevail” in the final AI Act.