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OpenAI’s ChatGPT will have to comply with tougher EU rules such as removing illegal content or face potential fines, the European Commission said on Monday, as Brussels grapples with how its existing digital regulation applies to rapidly evolving AI services.
The Commission said the chatbot would be classified as a so-called very large online search engine under the EU Digital Services Act, its landmark online safety regime, while social media forum Reddit and gaming platform Roblox would be classified as very large online platforms.
The designations mean all three services will face additional obligations such as removing illegal content and protecting the privacy and security of minors, and could face fines of up to 6 per cent of their global revenue if they fail to comply.
The decision marks a further expansion of the DSA into generative AI, with X’s AI chatbot Grok already facing an investigation under the law.
“ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society,” said the EU’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen.
The move comes after all three services surpassed 45mn monthly users in the EU, the threshold for enhanced scrutiny under the DSA. They now have until the end of December to comply with the additional obligations.
A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company was preparing to meet the additional compliance requirements.
Roblox said it was “proud to be the first gaming platform to reach this milestone in the EU” and that “safety is foundational to everything we do and we look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with the European Commission”.
Reddit said the company is “committed to complying with the EU Digital Services Act”.
The EU is also starting to enforce its AI Act, the world’s first regime regulating the development of the fast-developing technology. Under its competition rule book, the bloc has also started an investigation into AI services, including whether Google breached EU competition rules in its use of AI overviews.
The expansion of the DSA comes as Brussels faces pressure from Washington over its regulation of US tech companies, including over fines under the law against companies such as Elon Musk’s X. Washington claims the EU is unfairly targeting US groups and infringing freedom of speech principles championed by the Maga movement.
However, the Commission insists its digital laws apply to companies regardless of where they are based. In July, Chinese online marketplace AliExpress was fined €550mn under the DSA for failing to do enough to prevent the sale of illegal products on its platform.
