European Commission deputy head Vera Jourova has called on companies using AI tools capable of generating disinformation, like ChatGPT and Bard, to label such content as part of their efforts to combat fake news. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, backed by Microsoft, has experienced unprecedented consumer adoption, leading to a competitive race among tech companies to introduce generative AI products to the market. However, concerns are growing about the potential misuse of this technology, with fears that malicious actors, including governments, may exploit it to spread disinformation on a larger scale.

Jourova emphasised the need for signatories integrating generative AI, such as Bingchat for Microsoft and Bard for Google, to incorporate safeguards preventing the use of these services for generating disinformation. She also urged companies with platforms that have the potential to disseminate AI-generated disinformation to develop technology that can identify and clearly label such content for users.

Jourova stated that companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms, which have committed to the EU Code of Practice for combating disinformation, must provide a report next month detailing the AI safeguards they have implemented. Regarding Twitter’s recent departure from the Code of Practice, Jourova cautioned the platform to anticipate heightened regulatory scrutiny, emphasising that its actions and compliance with EU law will undergo rigorous and urgent examination.