Regulatory scrutiny around OpenAI and the ChatGPT service grows as AEPD acts
The Spanish Data Protection Agency, known by its initials AEPD, has announced the opening of a preliminary inquiry into OpenAI, the American company behind the ChatGPT chatbot. This move comes amid a broader wave of reviews of how large language models collect, process, and retain user data. The agency emphasizes that the inquiry is part of its mandate to assess potential non compliance with data protection rules and to ensure that user privacy rights are respected in AI applications used across Spain and beyond. AEPD’s actions reflect a careful approach to establish clarity on how interactive AI tools handle personal information, store conversations, and manage data related to both adults and minors who may interact with the service. This development is being watched closely by privacy authorities across Europe as part of ongoing discussions about consistent governance of AI systems under the European Union framework for data protection and digital rights.