Google is under investigation by Europe’s privacy regulator over its use of personal data in developing its artificial intelligence models. The inquiry, initiated by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), focuses on Google’s Pathways Language Model 2 (PaLM 2) and its compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The investigation will scrutinize whether Google conducted necessary data protection impact assessments to mitigate risks to individual rights and freedoms, particularly given the deployment of new technologies
PaLM 2, introduced in May 2023, is a precursor to Google’s latest AI models, known as Gemini, which were rolled out in December 2023 and currently power its text and image-generation tools. A Google spokesperson reaffirmed the company’s commitment to GDPR, stating, “We take seriously our obligations under the GDPR and will work constructively with the DPC to answer their questions.”
The DPC has previously taken actions against other tech giants over similar concerns. In June, Meta suspended plans to train its Llama model using public content from Facebook and Instagram after consultations with the DPC. This was followed by X (formerly Twitter) halting the use of European user data for training its Grok AI model, following legal proceedings initiated by the Irish regulator. These developments highlight growing regulatory scrutiny over the use of personal data in AI training by major technology firms.
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