Consumer groups urge Washington and Brussels to regulate AI technology.

A coalition of consumer advocacy groups in the European Union and the United States is urging their governments to take action and regulate generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

These groups are deeply concerned about the rapid development of AI technology, such as ChatGPT, and the potential harm it could cause to consumers if proper regulations are not put in place.

The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), a coalition of consumer groups in the EU and North America, has sent letters to government leaders on June 21, expressing their concerns that the fast-paced advancement of generative AI is outpacing legislative and regulatory measures, leaving consumers vulnerable.

“Generative artificial intelligence (AI) raises serious concerns for consumers’ rights and safety,” states the coalition. “The use of this technology presents challenges related to privacy, manipulation, personal integrity, scams, disinformation, and more. Additionally, these services have significant environmental implications due to their high resource demands.”

AI Safety Advocates Call for Immediate Protection for Consumers

TACD is calling for stronger consumer protections to ensure that AI technology is “safe, reliable, and fair,” and to prevent consumers from being treated as experimental subjects by Big Tech companies.

They are also advocating for a comprehensive AI strategy that considers recent technological advancements, prioritizes basic consumer rights, and establishes strict guidelines for the use of generative AI in the public sector.

The coalition also demands the implementation of “future-proof regulations” in cases where existing laws are insufficient.

Privacy is a major concern when it comes to generative AI, as user data is often stored for model training purposes.

Italy has already banned ChatGPT after it was revealed that OpenAI was not authorized to collect user data legally.

In addition to compromised user confidentiality, there is a risk of stored information falling into the wrong hands in the event of a security breach.

AI technology also has the capability to generate human-level content on a massive scale, including fake and misleading articles, essays, papers, and videos.

This raises concerns about the widespread dissemination of misinformation to an unprecedented extent.

Similar worries exist regarding “deepfakes,” which utilize generative AI to create fabricated videos, photos, and voice recordings that mimic the appearance and voice of specific individuals.

These deepfakes have already been used to defame and attack celebrities and politicians by spreading false information.

White House And Congress To Act On AI Tech Legislation

“Generative artificial intelligence systems are now widely used by consumers in the U.S. and beyond,” wrote the coalition in its letter to President Joe Biden.

“Although these systems are marketed as helpful, saving time, costs, and labor, we are concerned about the potential downsides and harms they may bring about.”

The group emphasized that generative AI systems have a tendency to collect as much data as possible for training AI models, which may include personal data that cannot be easily removed once incorporated into the system.

TACD warned that biased, discriminatory, or false content could be used to train AI systems, leading to further ingrained and widespread dissemination of such content.

They also expressed concerns about large companies gaining monopolistic control over the AI industry and highlighted the significant environmental impact of using resource-intensive tools like ChatGPT, which contribute to increased carbon emissions.

TACD is urging the White House and Congress to take action and address the regulation of AI technology to protect consumers.