EU Places ChatGPT Under Tougher Digital Services Rules -

ChatGPT will face tougher safety and accountability requirements in the European Union after the bloc designated it as a “very large” online platform, bringing the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot under increased scrutiny for the first time.

The European Commission also gave the same designation to Reddit and gaming platform Roblox, requiring all three services to meet additional obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

The designation applies to platforms and search engines with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU. ChatGPT, which is operated by US-based OpenAI, reported more than 159 million users in the bloc at the end of March. Reddit has more than 57 million users, while Roblox has about 46.6 million.

The three companies will have four months to comply with the additional requirements. These include assessing and reducing risks linked to illegal content, the protection of minors, users’ physical and mental well-being, fundamental rights, elections and public security.

To bring ChatGPT under the DSA framework, the European Commission classified the service as a search engine.

EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said the designation would subject ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox to a higher level of scrutiny and accountability because of their significant impact on European citizens and society.

ChatGPT said it was preparing to meet the new compliance requirements, while Roblox welcomed the decision and said safety remains a key priority.

The move comes as the EU continues to strengthen oversight of major digital platforms. Around 30 services are currently subject to enhanced scrutiny under the DSA, including platforms operated by Google, Apple, Microsoft, TikTok, X, Amazon and Shein.

The designation could also establish a precedent for other large generative AI services operating in Europe, potentially expanding the regulatory requirements facing the sector. – ERMD

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