The privacy authority in Japan said on Friday that it had cautioned OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed business that created the ChatGPT chatbot, not to gather private information without people’s consent.

The Personal Information Protection Commission stated in a statement that OpenAI should limit the sensitive data it gathers for machine learning, adding that it may take further action if it has more issues.

The usage of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can generate text and images and whose effects some have compared to the advent of the internet, has regulators around the world scurrying to develop regulations.

Japan has lagged behind in certain recent technological advancements, but as its population is declining, it is seen to have a greater motivation to stay up with the latest developments in AI and robotics in order to sustain productivity.

The watchdog emphasised the need to strike a balance between privacy concerns and the potential advantages of generative AI, including as boosting innovation and addressing issues like climate change.

According to analytics company Similarweb, the third-largest source of visitors to OpenAI’s website is Japan.

Prior to the Group of Seven (G7) leaders summit, when Kishida moderated a panel on regulating AI, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April to discuss expansion in Japan.

The EU is developing what may be the first set of regulations for AI, setting a global standard for tech regulation.

Last week, Altman clarified that OpenAI has no plans to leave Europe, contrary to prior comments that the business would do so if EU regulations proved to be too onerous to follow.

(Adapted from MoneyControl.com)