Summary:
L’Union européenne a émis un avertissement implicite aux entreprises d’IA OpenAI, xAI et Mistral dans le cadre de la loi sur l’IA de l’UE après la publication d’une recherche par l’autorité néerlandaise de protection des données indiquant que quatre chatbots populaires, dont ChatGPT, Grok, le Chat et Gemini, fournissaient des conseils politiques biaisés avant les prochaines élections parlementaires. Le but de cette action est de souligner la nécessité pour les fournisseurs de modèles d’IA de s’attaquer aux risques systémiques tels que la manipulation qui pourraient compromettre les processus démocratiques. Les points clés comprennent l’obligation pour les nouveaux modèles—Grok 4 Fast, Mistral 3.1 Medium et GPT-5—de se conformer à la loi sur l’IA car ils ne relèvent pas de la clause de grandfathering de la loi, une incertitude persistante concernant leur statut de risque en raison de données de calcul non divulguées, et l’exposition potentielle des entreprises d’IA à des litiges et à un examen de conformité accru avant que la loi sur l’IA ne soit pleinement appliquée en août 2026.
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The recent findings by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, Dutch DPA) have brought attention to potential compliance issues under the forthcoming EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). During its research, the regulator revealed that various popular chatbot models — including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, xAI’s Grok, and Mistral’s le Chat — dispersed biased political advice to users in advance of the parliamentary elections. This flags concerns regarding the role that AI systems can play in influencing democratic processes and highlights the importance of adhering to the commitments outlined in the EU code of practice for general-purpose AI.
The AI Act, approved earlier in 2023, constitutes one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence. This pioneering legislation intends to mitigate risks tied to high-risk AI applications, such as algorithmic bias and disinformation, while promoting innovation and trustworthiness across the industry. Specifically, AI systems assigned systemic risk classifications are subject to strict requirements involving transparency, risk assessments, and oversight. As stated in Article 6 of the AI Act, general-purpose AI with demonstrated capacities to influence societal dynamics must adopt protective measures to prevent harmful outcomes, including the manipulation of public opinion or the undermining of democratic institutions.
The ethical stakes linked to this matter are considerable. The provision of politically biased advice by chatbots can exacerbate polarization, compromise electoral integrity, and infringe on ethical principles of fairness and impartiality. AI companies signing the EU’s code of practice committed to curbing systemic risks associated with their technologies to safeguard democratic processes. The findings published by the Dutch DPA, however, indicate possible gaps in practice that may undermine these ethical responsibilities and suggest a need for stronger enforcement mechanisms.
Moreover, the legal ambiguity surrounding whether models such as Grok 4 Fast, Mistral 3.1 Medium, and GPT-5 meet the compute threshold to fall under the systemic risk classification creates additional complications. These models, released after the August 2, 2023 cutoff date for grandfathered systems, are legally required to comply with the AI Act. However, the lack of disclosure around compute metrics makes it challenging for regulators to confirm compliance. The AI Act relies on such transparency for monitoring purposes, as mandated in Articles 10 and 17 of the regulation.
For the AI industry, this situation serves as a cautionary tale. Companies developing and deploying general-purpose AI models face increasing regulatory scrutiny and must prioritize compliance processes ahead of the AI Act’s full enforcement in 2024, and certainly before the August 2026 deadline for alignment. Failure to act could lead to penalties levied by regulators or private litigants under existing laws such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which outlines liability frameworks for individuals harmed by technological misuse.
This development may also signal rising reputational risks: real-world instances of AI bias could erode public trust and complicate adoption. Consider, for example, a scenario where an AI-enabled chatbot disseminated misinformation about candidates running in a national election, thereby swaying voter behavior. Such incidents could lead to political turmoil, public outcry, and significant financial consequences for the implicated AI developers.
In light of these revelations, AI firms such as OpenAI, xAI, and Mistral must proactively audit their models to identify and remediate biases. Incorporating independent oversight boards and instating real-time transparency measures — such as open access to detailed risk-impact reports — would improve compliance with the AI Act and demonstrate accountability. The Dutch DPA’s preliminary warning underscores the urgency for the industry to align with upcoming regulations and ethical norms, ensuring that AI contributes positively to society instead of perpetuating harm.