Call for Federal Trade Commission to Halt New GPT Releases

A digital ethics advocacy group has urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent OpenAI from releasing new commercial versions of GPT-4, arguing that the system poses risks to privacy and public safety.

The complaint, filed on Thursday and was published on the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP) website and describes GPT-4 as “biased, deceptive and a risk to privacy and public safety”.

OpenAI, a California-based company backed by Microsoft, unveiled the fourth version of its GPT artificial intelligence program in early March. The system has impressed users with its ability to perform human-like tasks, including conducting conversations, composing music and summarizing lengthy documents.

The CAIDP’s formal complaint follows an open letter signed by Elon Musk and other AI experts and industry leaders calling for a six-month pause on the development of systems more powerful than GPT-4, citing potential societal risks.

In its filing, the group argued that GPT-4 fails to meet FTC standards requiring “transparency, explainability, fairness, and empirical soundness, while fostering accountability”.

The complaint also alleges privacy lapses. It claims that OpenAI exposed portions of users’ private chat histories to others. Additionally, an AI researcher reportedly demonstrated that it was possible to “take over a personal account, view chat history and access billing information without the user ever realizing it”.

Marc Rotenberg, president of CAIDP and a longtime privacy advocate, expressed concern that commercial pressures could push companies to release products before they are fully ready.

“Open AI simply does not comply with FTC guidelines,” Rotenberg said, adding that there is a risk the product could be deemed unfair or deceptive.

The group has asked the FTC to “initiate an investigation into OpenAI, issue an injunction against the release of future commercial versions of GPT-4, and ensure the establishment of necessary safeguards to protect consumers, businesses and the commercial marketplace”.

Source: Reuters