The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched an investigation into Twitter’s use of European users’ data to train its AI chatbot, Grok. The probe follows a court proceeding earlier this week, which saw Twitter agree to suspend data processing for Grok training and commit to deleting any collected data. However, the DPC confirmed that the undertaking does not require Twitter to delete any AI models trained on Europeans’ data.
The investigation is significant as it raises concerns about the potential risks to users’ fundamental rights and freedoms from having their information embedded into Grok. Generative AI tools are known to produce false information, and Musk’s twist on the category could amplify these risks.
The DPC has received complaints under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and will examine the extent to which Twitter’s processing of EU users’ data complies with the relevant provisions of the GDPR. If found in breach, the regulator may consider exercising its corrective powers, including ordering operational changes or imposing penalties.
The investigation is part of a broader trend, as regulators grapple with the novel technology of generative AI and how to enforce the GDPR against it. The outcome of this probe will have significant implications for Twitter’s data handling practices and potentially set a precedent for other companies using similar technologies.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/06/elon-musks-x-could-still-face-sanctions-for-training-grok-on-europeans-data/