EU Designates ChatGPT a 'Very Large' Service Under the Digital Services Act

ChatGPT is set to come under tougher European Union oversight after being designated a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, according to reporting from The Verge and other outlets.

The designation brings OpenAI's widely used AI service within a stricter part of the EU's online-safety framework, increasing regulatory scrutiny around risks associated with services operating at significant scale.

What the EU designation means for ChatGPT

Under the Digital Services Act, the European Union applies additional requirements to online platforms and search services that reach very large numbers of users.

Reporting on ChatGPT's designation has highlighted areas including the protection of minors, risks to users' mental health and the spread of illegal content as issues OpenAI may have to address under the framework.

The development is significant because ChatGPT has evolved from an experimental AI chatbot into a widely used consumer technology service. Its increasing reach is bringing it into regulatory frameworks originally designed to hold the largest digital services accountable for systemic risks.

Why this matters for OpenAI

European regulators have taken an increasingly active role in setting rules for major technology platforms, and AI services are becoming a larger part of that regulatory landscape.

For OpenAI, the designation means operating ChatGPT in Europe will involve more than improving models and releasing new features. Regulatory compliance, risk assessment and user-safety measures are becoming increasingly important parts of running AI products at scale.

The decision could also provide an early indication of how European regulators intend to apply existing digital-platform rules to rapidly growing generative AI services.

What remains unclear

Some important implementation details remain uncertain.

The reporting reviewed for this story does not establish the precise compliance changes OpenAI will make to ChatGPT, how individual requirements will be implemented, or what effect the designation will ultimately have on the experience of European users.

Those details are likely to become clearer as the regulatory process develops and OpenAI responds to the designation.

What to watch next

The next important question is how OpenAI adapts ChatGPT to meet the EU's requirements and whether similar regulatory treatment eventually extends to other large generative AI services.

For the wider AI industry, the development is another sign that regulatory scrutiny is beginning to follow the rapid adoption of consumer AI products.

AIOptiva will continue tracking the implementation of the EU's Digital Services Act as it applies to ChatGPT and other major AI services.