ChatGPT-maker OpenAI had to temporarily disable the internet surfing feature Browse with Bing after some reports claimed that the feature is generating information from some websites which is protected by paywalls. The internet surfing feature is available for only ChatGPT plus subscribers now and provides users with up-to-date information.
As per a The Hindu report, OpenAI said that the decision to disable the feature was taken after it was discovered that it can “occasionally display content in ways we don’t want.”
“We are working to bring the beta back as quickly as possible”, the company added.
ChatGPT Browse with Bing is a beta feature (available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers) that allows ChatGPT to search the internet to help answer questions that benefit from recent information. The users who do not have access to ChatGPT Plus have to manage with information up till 2021.
The report said that the Browse with Bing feature was able to generate information that websites keep behind paywalls and only the premium subscribers of the websites have access to that information.
OpenAI facing legal troubles
The revelations may increase the legal troubles for OpenAI which is already facing a lawsuit in San Francisco court for stealing a vast amount of personal information to train ChatGPT-like artificial intelligence platforms.
The Bloomberg News quoted the details from the 157-page lawsuit which claims that OpenAI violated privacy laws by secretly scraping 300 billion words from the internet, tapping content including personal information obtained without consent.
“OpenAI illegally accesses private information from individuals’ interactions with its products and from applications that have integrated ChatGPT,” the lawsuit read.
The developments come at a crucial juncture with the world discussing the regulation of artificial intelligence technology with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman himself vouching for the same.
Updated: 05 Jul 2023, 10:17 PM IST