OpenAI, the leading artificial intelligence research organization, is facing a new complaint from the nonprofit research group Center for AI and Digital Policy. The complaint urges the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate OpenAI and suspend its commercial deployment of large language models, including its latest iteration of the popular tool ChatGPT.
The Center for AI and Digital Policy accuses OpenAI of violating Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive business practices, and the agency’s guidance for AI products. The group claims that GPT-4, the latest version of the language model, is biased, deceptive, and a risk to privacy and public safety. They argue that it fails to meet the agency’s standards for AI to be transparent, explainable, fair, and empirically sound while fostering accountability.
According to the complaint, the FTC should require OpenAI to establish a way to independently assess GPT products before they’re deployed in the future. It also wants the FTC to create a public incident reporting system for GPT-4 similar to its systems for reporting consumer fraud. Additionally, it wants the agency to take on a rulemaking initiative to create standards for generative AI products.
The president of the Center for AI and Digital Policy, Marc Rotenberg, signed onto a widely circulated open letter released Wednesday that called for a pause of at least six months on “the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” Notably, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among the other signatories.
OpenAI has not yet responded to the complaint. The FTC declined to comment.
The complaint raises important questions about the ethical implications of AI, particularly as it becomes more advanced and more widely deployed. It also highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in AI research and development.
As AI continues to evolve, it’s critical that researchers and developers prioritize ethical considerations and work to ensure that AI is used for the benefit of society as a whole. The FTC has an important role to play in this process, and it’s essential that it takes appropriate action to address any concerns about the use of AI.
The complaint against OpenAI by the Center for AI and Digital Policy raises important questions about the ethics of AI and the need for greater transparency and accountability in AI research and development. It’s essential that researchers and developers prioritize ethical considerations in the development of AI and that the FTC takes appropriate action to address any concerns about its use.
