Is ChatGPT going to be blocked again in Italy?

It is an open secret that the Italian data protection authority is very interested in becoming the regulator for AI. They have started to appear in different areas, intervening as much as possible in the public debate. The OpenAI case is clearly part of this strategy by Andrea Monti – this is an abriged and edited version of a longer article publishe in Italian by Italian Tech – La Repubblica Continue reading “Is ChatGPT going to be blocked again in Italy?”

AI (non-)copyright. A US ruling apparently sets the record straight, but negatively affects content-creators

Last August 18, 2023, a ruling of US District Court for the District of Columbia in the Civil Action No. 22-1564 (BAH) denied copyright protection to an image generated with an AI in execution of the input (‘prompt’) of the user. At a first glance the ruling looks correct, however it is questionable because there are are many examples of copyrighted non-AI- generated content made without human intervention. The main problem with this ruling, indeed, is that it looks at the matter from the (wrong) perspective of the ‘AI subjectivity’ rather than the economic value of the final product by Andrea Monti – initially published in Italian on Strategikon – an Italian Tech Blog Continue reading “AI (non-)copyright. A US ruling apparently sets the record straight, but negatively affects content-creators”

ChatGPT Block. Why the Italian Data Protection is wrong

The “ChatGPT block” was ordered on 30 March 2023 by the Italian data protection authority on the grounds that the data used to train the model had been collected without informing the people to whom it related and without verifying their age. This, according to the order, exposes minors who use the service “to answers that are totally inappropriate to their level of development and self-awareness”.

The order, it must be said, is highly questionable from a technical, legal and cultural point of view. It reveals, on the one hand, the weakness of the national data protection authorities in dealing with the matter and, on the other hand, the substantial inapplicability of the ‘privacy protection’ legislation. Finally, it triggers a very dangerous reciprocity mechanism whereby other countries with similar regulations – including Russia and China – could use them as a ‘legal’ tool to target companies on this side of the new Iron Curtain by Andrea Monti Continue reading “ChatGPT Block. Why the Italian Data Protection is wrong”

The artificial intelligence of the virtual prosecutor

An article published on 26 December by the South China Morning Post headlined Chinese scientists to develop AI ‘prosecutor’ that can press charges on its own. According to the article, the project, which began in 2015, has now reached the executive stage, and software can support prosecutors in deciding whether to send eight types of crime to trial, including dangerous driving, fraud and gambling. Therefore, the field of application is restricted because the crimes that can be analysed are few, and the magistrate still maintains the last word. However, there has been no lack of the usual “alarms” about the “robotic judge” and the umpteenth demonstration of how dangerous this “artificial intelligence” can be –  by Andrea Monti – Initially published in Italian on Strategikon – An Italian Tech Blog Continue reading “The artificial intelligence of the virtual prosecutor”

Stay away from blockchain and cryptocurrencies, says nerd

Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and smart contracts are all the rage. They promise (yet another) revolution. They attract public and private investment. They allow those who have embraced them to make fortunes and lose everything. They are also, however, the umpteenth step towards electronic slavery masquerading as a dream of freedom. Thanks to these technologies – but more generally to how the IT market works – we transfer control over the economic and intellectual value we create with our work and thought efforts to private operators. In exchange for what? by Andrea Monti – Initially published in Italian by Strategikon – an Italian Tech Blog. Continue reading “Stay away from blockchain and cryptocurrencies, says nerd”