EU asks Microsoft to supply details about Bing’s generative AI options

European Union officers have issued Microsoft Corp. a legally binding request for details about two generative synthetic intelligence options in Bing.

The European Fee, the EU’s govt department, introduced the transfer immediately. Microsoft has till Could 27 to supply the requested data. Failing to take action might result in doubtlessly important fines.

The request is a part of the European Fee’s efforts to make sure tech giants adjust to the bloc’s Digital Providers Act, or DSA. The laws requires giant on-line platform operators akin to Microsoft to watch for a number of forms of dangers of their providers and mitigate them. That features dangers related to generative AI options.

In March, the EU requested Microsoft, Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc. and a number of other different tech corporations to supply details about their respective generative AI options. The purpose of the requests was to assist officers decide whether or not the businesses are complying with the DSA’s provisions about mitigating dangers to customers. The second request for data that the EU despatched to Microsoft immediately was issued as a result of the tech big didn’t share sure “inside paperwork and knowledge” in its preliminary response.

The EU can impose fines equal to as much as 1% of corporations’ annual worldwide income in the event that they submit incorrect, incomplete or deceptive data in response to a request for data. Ought to Microsoft not disclose the info that officers requested for by the March 27 deadline, it might doubtlessly face extra penalties. Failing to supply requested data can result in fines equal to as much as 1% of an organization’s annual worldwide income in addition to smaller periodical penalties.

The brand new request for data focuses on two generative AI options that Microsoft supplies as a part of Bing. The primary is the search big’s built-in Copilot chatbot, which is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 giant language mannequin. The opposite characteristic the EU is scrutinizing, Picture Creator by Designer, permits customers to generate pictures with pure language prompts.

The EU believes the 2 options might have breached the DSA “relating to particular dangers stemming from Bing’s generative AI options.” The dangers that officers have recognized embody the options’ potential to disseminate deepfakes and carry out “automated manipulation of providers that may mislead voters.” The EU can be involved about hallucinations, AI responses that include false or deceptive data. 

Microsoft informed TechCrunch in an announcement that “now we have been totally cooperating with the European Fee as a part of the voluntary request for data and stay dedicated to responding to their questions and sharing extra about our strategy to digital security and compliance with the DSA.”

Picture: Microsoft