- The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on whether technology platforms can be held liable for content posted online by their users, a decision that could impact the protections for companies developing generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
- Legal and technology experts argue that algorithms powering generative AI chatbots operate similarly to those that suggest videos to YouTube users, meaning the court’s ruling could influence the debate over whether these companies should be protected from legal claims like defamation or privacy violations.
- While the case being decided by the Supreme Court does not directly relate to generative AI, it is only one facet of an emerging conversation about whether Section 230 immunity should apply to AI models capable of producing original works.
As the U.S. Supreme Court nears a decision on whether technology platforms can be held liable for content posted online by their users, experts say the ruling could have significant implications for the emerging field of generative AI chatbots, like ChatGPT.
The case involves whether Alphabet’s YouTube can be sued over its video recommendations to users, which could determine if companies are protected from legal claims when they use algorithms to target users with recommendations.
Legal and technology experts argue that algorithms that power generative AI tools operate similarly to those that suggest videos to YouTube users.
As such, the court’s ruling could influence the debate over whether companies that develop generative AI chatbots should be protected from legal claims like defamation or privacy violations.
Section 230 is a law that protects technology platforms from legal responsibility for content posted online by their users.
Section 230 is a law in the United States that protects technology platforms from legal responsibility for content posted online by their users. The current debate is whether this law also applies when companies use algorithms to target users with recommendations, and whether AI chatbots like ChatGPT should be protected from legal claims like defamation or privacy violations.
If Section 230 protections are weakened, it could expose AI developers to a flood of litigation that could stifle innovation. The technology industry has pushed to preserve Section 230 despite bipartisan opposition to the immunity.
