Concerns Raised Over Artificial Intelligence Chatbots, Calls for Investigation by Consumer Protection Bodies
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has raised concerns over the potential harm to individuals caused by ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence chatbots. It has called on EU consumer protection agencies to investigate the technology. The growing popularity of Microsoft-backed Open AI's ChatGPT has spurred other companies such as Alphabet's Google, Amazon's cloud division AWS, and Meta Platforms to announce similar tools.
BEUC, the umbrella group for 46 consumer organisations from 32 countries, recently sent separate letters to the network of consumer safety authorities and the network of consumer protection authorities. The group expressed fears that content created by the chatbots that appears true and reliable but is often factually incorrect can mislead consumers and result in deceptive advertising. It highlighted that younger consumers and children are more vulnerable to such risks.
"BEUC thus asks you to investigate the risks that these AI systems pose to consumers as a matter of urgency, to identify their presence in consumer markets and to explore what remedial action must be taken to avoid consumer harm," said BEUC Deputy Director General Ursula Pachl in the letter to the CPC network and the European Commission.
The group has also called on the Consumer Safety Network to start an exchange of information and an investigation into the safety risks of these products. It is important that consumer protection bodies act swiftly to protect consumers from potential harm caused by artificial intelligence chatbots.
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