AI to be investigated by UK regulator amid consumer worries

Jeffrey Hinton, known as the «Godfather of AI», recently left Google due to technology concerns. Photo: Mark Blinch/Reuters

The competition watchdog is investigating the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT as regulators grapple with the rapid development of digital chatbots.

The Competition Authority and Markets (CMA) said it will seek to understand the competitive landscape for next-generation artificial intelligence algorithms and their potential threat to consumers.

New AI tools such as ChatGPT, developed by Silicon Valley startup OpenAI, can provide human answers to questions, write essays and articles or create songs.

These artificial intelligence technologies, known as "fundamental models" have been trained on millions of pages of articles, books, and text data on the web.

Other versions of these models can invent images or videos from text prompts, or copy human voices.

But the proliferation of this new type of AI has given way to fears that attackers could use it to scam or spread disinformation on a massive scale. The instruments have also raised questions of copyright infringement, with a plethora of songs made to imitate popular artists such as rapper Drake appearing online.

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Some technologists warn of existential threats posed by AI. This week, former Google CEO Geoffrey Hinton, nicknamed «The Godfather of AI», warned in an interview with the New York Times that «bad actors» could use AI.

Major technology companies such as Microsoft. , Google and a host of startups such as OpenAI in the US and Stability AI in the UK have sought to build AI-powered products relying on ever more powerful algorithms.

In the US , the White House called on tech leaders, including bosses of Microsoft and Google, to Washington, DC, to discuss possible risks and security measures for AI.

The CMA said its investigation will form an «initial overview» of the growing sector.

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of CMA, said: «It is critical that the potential benefits of this transformative technology are easily accessible to UK businesses and consumers, while keeping people safe from issues such as false or misleading information.»

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Last month, the government decided not to launch a new AI regulator or a dedicated regulation of the technology, instead leaving it up to individual oversight bodies to decide how to control it.