EU and California tighten AI rules

European regulators are weighing whether OpenAI’s ChatGPT should face tighter obligations under the European Union Digital Services Act after reporting user numbers above the DSA threshold. (money.usnews.com) Germany’s Handelsblatt reported the Commission is preparing to classify ChatGPT as a “very large” online search engine, a step Reuters said follows OpenAI’s published user figures. (money.usnews.com) OpenAI told EU bodies it recorded roughly 120.4 million average monthly active recipients for ChatGPT’s search feature in the six months to end‑September 2025, well above the DSA’s 45 million monthly threshold. (europarl.europa.eu) Designation as a “very large” platform or search engine under the Digital Services Act triggers extra duties — external audits, risk assessments, algorithmic transparency and data access for researchers. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) Meanwhile California’s Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, Senate Bill 53, requires public safety frameworks and reporting by frontier AI developers and was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 29, 2025. (gov.ca.gov) Analysts and the Xinhua news agency say California’s new disclosure rules closely resemble EU transparency expectations, a similarity legal firms noted could let companies align compliance across both jurisdictions. (english.news.cn) OpenAI declined to comment to media about the possible DSA designation while the European Commission said it is reviewing the available user data, officials told Reuters. (money.usnews.com) OpenAI has previously published different usage snapshots for its ChatGPT search feature — earlier six‑month figures showed about 41.3 million average monthly recipients for the period ending March 2025. (techcrunch.com) Regulators in Brussels and Sacramento now expect public disclosures and governance steps from major AI developers; the Commission’s final classification decision is anticipated in coming months. (theaitrack.com)