The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a consultation series on generative AI, examining how aspects of data protection law should apply to the development and use of the technology.
The first consultation examines when it is lawful to train generative AI models on personal data scraped from the web.
Stephen Almond, the ICO’s executive director for regulatory risk said: “The impact of generative AI can be transformative for society if it’s developed and deployed responsibly.
“This call for views will help the ICO provide industry with certainty regarding its obligations and safeguard people’s information rights and freedoms.”
The ICO is seeking views from a range of stakeholders, including developers and users of generative AI, legal advisors and consultants working in this area, civil society groups and other public bodies with an interest in generative AI.
The first consultation is open until 1 March 2024. Future consultations will examine issues such as the accuracy of generative AI outputs and will be launched throughout the first half of this year.
