Priya Patel
TLDR:
- The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is launching an inquiry into Google’s AI data practices in Europe.
- The inquiry will focus on whether Google has complied with data protection regulations while developing its foundational AI model, Pathways Language Model 2 (PaLM 2).
Ireland’s Watchdog Launches Inquiry into Google’s AI Data Practices in Europe
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has initiated a “Cross-Border statutory inquiry” into Google’s foundational artificial intelligence (AI) model. The inquiry is aimed at determining whether Google has followed data protection regulations in Europe when processing the personal data of European users. The focus of the inquiry is on Google’s advanced language model, Pathways Language Model 2 (PaLM 2), which was introduced by the company in May 2023. The DPC is particularly concerned about whether Google conducted a Data Protection Impact Assessment as required by the General Data Protection Regulation before engaging in processing European users’ data for PaLM 2 development.
With Google’s European headquarters located in Dublin, the DPC plays a crucial role as the primary regulator responsible for ensuring the company’s compliance with stringent data privacy laws in the region. The DPC emphasized the importance of safeguarding individuals’ fundamental rights and freedoms, especially when it comes to high-risk processing of data for AI system development.
The inquiry by the DPC follows recent actions by other companies regarding data privacy concerns in Europe. Social media platform X agreed to not train its AI chatbot, Grok, using personal data from European users without prior consent. Similarly, Meta paused its plans to use content from European users for AI training following privacy concerns raised by the DPC. This inquiry is part of a broader trend where regulatory authorities are scrutinizing tech companies over data protection practices in AI development.
