European regulators want to question Big Tech companies about the potential threat of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
To this end, the European Commission (EC) has issued an order to Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, X, Snapchat and TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA), according to a press release on Thursday (14 March). , has sent a request regarding responses to such risks. .
The commission will provide these companies with information on ways to reduce risks such as “so-called ‘hallucinations’ in which AI provides false information, the spread of deepfakes, and automated operation of services that may mislead voters.” I’m looking for.
The companies have until April 5 to respond to the commission’s questions about election integrity, and have until April 26 to respond to the remaining questions.
The EC’s efforts come as regulators around the world are cracking down on all kinds of fraudulent activity using AI.
For example, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last month proposed new rules to prohibit personal impersonation in response to an increase in complaints about AI-based identity fraud.
“Fraudsters are using AI tools to impersonate individuals more broadly and with uncanny accuracy. Protecting Americans from identity theft as voice cloning and other AI-based scams are on the rise is more important than ever,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
The EC’s announcement comes on the same day that the EC launched formal proceedings to determine whether Alibaba’s AliExpress breached DSA requirements, including the control and risk mitigation of online marketplaces, content moderation, It investigated complaint handling, advertising transparency, traceability of traders, and data accessibility. researchers.
“The protection of consumers, especially minors, is an important basis for digital services law,” EU competition watchdog Margrethe Vestager said in a news release.
“AliExpress must respect its obligation to reduce systemic risks on its platform and apply all safeguards provisions to ensure the safety of its services. We will evaluate and verify whether the measures comply with our regulations.”
When reached for comment by PYMNTS, AliExpress said it respects the rules and regulations of the markets in which it operates.
“As a VLOP” [Very Large Online Platform]”We have worked with the relevant authorities to ensure that we comply with applicable standards, and we will continue to work with them to ensure that we meet the requirements of the DSA,” the company said in an e-mail. stated in an email. statement. “AliExpress is committed to building a safe and compliant marketplace for all consumers.”
