EU designates ChatGPT a search engine under the DSA, a first for an AI chatbot
The European Commission classified ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act — the first AI chatbot to carry the label, on 159 million monthly EU users — alongside Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms. The regulatory line is now drawn: a chatbot that queries the live web counts as a search engine, so ChatGPT has until the end of November to run systemic risk assessments, submit to independent audits, and share data with regulators, with fines reaching 6% of global turnover. The DSA has produced roughly €870 million in penalties so far, including €550 million against AliExpress in July.
Source: euronews.com ↗
The Commission has concluded that an AI chatbot that pulls live results from the internet functions, in regulatory terms, as a search engine — not merely a platform.
Why this matters
- → Regulators now treat AI chatbots as search engines, triggering strict compliance obligations.
- → ChatGPT faces 6% global revenue penalties and quarterly audits under EU's strictest digital regime.
- → Sets precedent for regulating live-web AI tools globally, challenging Silicon Valley's exemption claims.