Canadian privacy czars call out 'several concerns' with how OpenAI trained ChatGPT

canadian river secrecy officials reveal findings of ChatGPT investigating

OpenAI did non adhere to Canadian privacy laws when it trained its immensely popular ChatGPT tool, resulting in the collection and use of sensitive personal information, according to a joint investigation.

The federal privacy commissioner and his counterparts in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta outlined their findings Wednesday morning into ChatGPT— a chatbot that generates conversational, human-like responses when users type in questions or tasks.

The privacy watchdogs' launched their probe in 2023 following a complaint that the company unlawfully collected, used and disclosed personal information without consent. 

According to their review, they identified "several concerns that led us to find that the way in which OpenAI had initially trained ChatGPT did not respect federal and provincial privacy laws." 

"OpenAI gathered vast amounts of personal information without adequate safeguards to prevent use of that information to train its models. This could include sensitive details such as individuals’ health conditions and political views, as well as information about children," said their report. 

It also found many users were unaware that their data was collected and used to train ChatGPT. 

"OpenAI launched ChatGPT without having fully addressed known privacy issues. This exposed Canadians to potential risks of harm such as breaches and discrimination on the basis of information about them," federal commissioner Philippe Dufresne said during a news conference. 

The privacy watchdogs said following their investigation, OpenAI took steps to improve privacy protections and has agreed to implement further measures to address their concerns. 

Despite the assurances Dufresne said the case reinforces the need to modernize Canada’s privacy laws.

"As AI is increasingly being integrated into personal and professional applications and while currently laws apply to AI, updated laws would help further support the safe deployment of new technologies to protect Canadians’ fundamental right to privacy," he said.

The investigation predates the fatal shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. In February, but comes amid calls for the government to introduce regulations targeting AI chatbots.

Seven lawsuits on behalf of those killed or injured in the rampage have been filed in California accusing OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman of negligence.

Lawyers with the firm Rice Parsons Leoni & Elliott say the Tumbler Ridge shooter's ChatGPT account was banned for "disturbing content," which allegedly included planning violent scenarios, prior to the February tragedy.

"However, despite some 12 different OpenAI employees imploring the company to notify Canadian law enforcement about the shooter’s plans, nothing else was done," the firm said.

Late last month Altman wrote an apology letter to the community for failing to alert RCMP about the account of the Tumbler Ridge shooter.  

The federal government has said it's reviewing whether the use of chatbots should be age-restricted.

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