OpenAI does not rule out a withdrawal from Europe if it “can no longer comply” with data protection regulations. According to the company, the upcoming AI law makes unrealistic requirements.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, was a guest at a panel discussion at the University of London last night. There he made the bold statement that the upcoming European AI law could mean that the company will soon no longer be able to offer its popular AI applications such as ChatGPT in Europe. The company wants to try to comply with the requirements of the European Commission, but these are not tenable for the company in the current version of the law.

In case you haven’t heard of the AI ​​Act, this is a bill the European Commission is preparing to bring back control of the rapid rise of ChatGPT and the like. The law obliges companies that develop AI systems to be transparent about the data they use, among other things.

“By setting clear boundaries to ensure the safe use of AI, we want to make it clear that we as a society should not accept misuse of the technology,” MP Dragos Tudorache (Romania, Renew Europe) said at a recent press conference which we attended. Parliament approved a first draft law, although there may be some rounds of revisions.

Warning to Europe

Although Altman has previously expressed an interest in legislation on AI, he is not a fan of the text that is now on the table, to say the least. Altman worries that GPT-4, the model on which ChatGPT is based, would be considered a “high-risk” system under the law’s criteria. As a result, OpenAI would be subject to much stricter rules.

“The details make a big difference. We will do everything we can to comply with the rules, but if we fail we will stop our work. There are technical limits to what is possible,” writes Altman in the Financial Times in no uncertain terms on paper to the European politician.

Of course, Altman’s words are preceded by a story. OpenAI has been temporarily banned in Italy because ChatGPT did not comply with GDPR legislation. After some concessions, the AI ​​tool was once again welcomed. As a result, Altman doesn’t seem ready to bend his knees any further for Europe.

Don’t leave right away

ChatGPT fans don’t have to worry about OpenAI closing its doors to Europe overnight, either. We still have a long way to go before the law comes into force. Meanwhile, OpenAI continues to expand its presence in Europe. The recently launched iOS app is now also available in four European countries, according to the company via tweet knowledge.

Unfortunately, Belgium is not yet among the chosen few. If you want to test the mobile application now, we recommend booking a vacation to France, Germany or more exotic locations like Nicaragua or Nigeria.