OpenAI to Introduce Watermarking for ChatGPT Text in the EU: What You Need to Know
OpenAI has announced the implementation of invisible watermarking for text generated by ChatGPT and Codex in the European Union. This decision is in compliance with the new EU AI Act, with the watermark expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks to users within the EU, as detailed in a recent blog post.
The EU AI Act, which came into effect on August 2, mandates AI companies to label AI-generated content so that external systems can identify such material. OpenAI’s watermark operates subtly through modifications in word choices, creating an undetectable pattern visible to detection systems but not to the naked eye. This embedded watermark remains with the text, even when it is copied and pasted. Importantly, OpenAI clarifies that this watermark does not identify individual users and does not impact the model’s performance.
Developers using OpenAI’s API can activate this watermark feature for selected models from today, although it is initially off by default and not set to be a global standard immediately. To provide transparency on this approach, OpenAI released a technical report co-authored with researchers from notable institutions like the University of Pennsylvania and Yale.
Despite these advancements, OpenAI acknowledges that editing could potentially remove the watermark; for instance, altering about 10% of the text resulted in a significant drop in detection capabilities. The company limited early access to its detection tools to approved researchers and institutions in an effort to evaluate efficacy and responsible usage. They also made it clear that a missing watermark does not inherently indicate that a text was human-generated, mentioning that it may simply be contextually short or overly edited.
This initiative follows similar commitments made by other companies, such as Anthropic, which plans to implement watermarking globally. OpenAI had previously delayed introducing a text watermark, fearing that users might opt for competitors that do not employ similar measures, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
In light of these developments, companies including OpenAI and others – like Google, Meta, and Microsoft – are actively adapting to comply with the EU’s new code of practice regarding AI-generated content.
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