EU Tightens ChatGPT Rules

Brussels Raises AI Oversight

The European Commission has placed ChatGPT under the European Union’s strictest digital safety framework, designating it as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act. The decision, announced on August 31, also places Reddit and Roblox under the bloc’s highest level of platform supervision.

The classification is particularly significant for ChatGPT because it is the first time the EU has formally treated an AI chatbot as a very large online search engine. According to the Commission, ChatGPT qualifies because its ability to respond to user queries and retrieve information from the web gives it characteristics beyond those of a conventional AI chatbot.

The designation means that ChatGPT will face additional obligations under the DSA. These rules are designed to address systemic risks associated with very large digital services, including illegal content, risks to users, transparency and the potential societal effects of algorithmic systems.

The move comes at a significant moment for European technology policy. The EU has increasingly sought to establish itself as a global rule-setter in artificial intelligence and digital platforms. The bloc began enforcing major parts of its AI Act in August, while simultaneously strengthening oversight mechanisms for the largest online services.

For OpenAI, the decision represents another layer of regulatory responsibility in one of its most important markets. The company will have to ensure that its service meets the additional requirements associated with its new classification.

The European Commission has given the newly designated services four months to comply with the relevant obligations.

The decision also carries broader geopolitical significance. The EU has repeatedly argued that digital platforms should be accountable for their impact on European society, regardless of where the companies behind them are headquartered. The latest move therefore reinforces Brussels’ approach of regulating global technology companies through market access and legal obligations.

For the technology industry, the decision could become an important precedent. If AI assistants that increasingly perform search-like functions are treated as digital search services, other major AI platforms could eventually face similar scrutiny.

The EU’s decision signals that artificial intelligence is no longer being treated solely as an emerging technology issue. It is increasingly becoming a question of platform governance, digital sovereignty and public accountability.