Microsoft will teach its artificial intelligence in Hungarian thanks to the GVH
The global technology giant is using approximately 10 billion Hungarian words to develop its own AI-based systems and will make the data available to other developers for free
Budapest, 30 May 2025 – The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has reached a historically important commitment in its proceedings against Microsoft. The GVH's proceedings were launched to investigate whether the software giant had adequately informed Hungarian users about its artificial intelligence-based service, which was launched in February 2023. As a result of the proceedings of the Hungarian Competition Authority, the global technology company has proposed to implement a comprehensive commitment, which the Competition Council of the GVH has made binding. This consists of Microsoft training its AI-based systems on a data set consisting of 10 billion Hungarian words, and making the data set available to other AI systems as well. This ground-breaking development could improve the capabilities of Hungarian AI-based applications by orders of magnitude.
In July 2023, the Hungarian Competition Authority launched proceedings against Microsoft's European subsidiary, Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, for alleged unfair practices against Hungarian consumers in relation to its so-called "new Bing service".
In February 2023, the software giant integrated an artificial intelligence-based chat feature - similar to ChatGPT - into its Bing search system, which helps answer questions in the search interface, using machine learning based on content, data and information shared by users. However, according to the Hungarian Competition Authority, the company may not have informed consumers about the service with the reasonably expected level of due diligence and care.
Why is the use of the Hungarian language important?
Separate from the competition supervision proceedings against Microsoft, in 2024 the GVH carried out a comprehensive market analysis to map the impact of AI on competition and consumer transactional decisions. The market analysis revealed, among other things, that global technology companies offer their Hungarian customers the same products and services as in other countries. Their business policy does not include the introduction or development of products specific to the Hungarian market. At the same time, the targeted development of self-learning systems based on small languages, such as Hungarian, is a particularly important factor for a country's data sovereignty, data security and the preservation of its cultural identity.
In the competition proceedings against Microsoft, the GVH established neither infringement nor lack thereof. Although the service's policies and user information were extensive, fragmented and sometimes contradictory, and in some cases available only in English, the company changed its practices after the initiation of the investigation, whilst consumer understanding of AI has improved since. The company also submitted a complex set of commitments to further help align its AI capabilities in Hungarian with consumer understanding of AI.
What has Microsoft committed to as a result of the proceedings of the GVH?
Microsoft has committed to a number of measures that are highly beneficial for Hungarian users as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. On the one hand, the global technology company will significantly expand and develop its artificial intelligence-based applications available in Hungarian. To this end, the company will create a database comprising at least 10 billion Hungarian words, "pre-cook" it (subject it to cleaning, deduplication, formatting, filtering and other data preparation techniques) in a way that allows further use, and integrate it into its various AI-based systems. The company has also committed to making the above-prepared dataset available to other systems, so that other developers can use it to teach their Hungarian AI systems. The above developments can help improve the accuracy and reliability of Hungarian applications, allowing for even more versatile use.
Microsoft has also agreed to actively communicate the measures taken as a result of the GVH's proceedings and to take a number of educational steps, such as training courses for Hungarian civil servants, SMEs and consumers. The training sessions and the recordings of them, which will be made public by Microsoft, can help improve the knowledge and understanding of the opportunities and risks of AI and AI-based applications, thereby ensuring that consumers can make a more realistic assessment of the capabilities, values and risks of AI.
The implementation of the obligations imposed is subject to thorough and systematic scrutiny by the Hungarian Competition Authority in every case. The GVH also reminds undertakings that the obligations imposed by its decisions must be implemented accurately and fully. In case of incomplete implementation or failure to provide proof, the GVH may impose significant fines on the undertaking concerned.
GVH regulates global technology giants one by one
For years, the GVH has paid particular attention to the investigation of the conduct of large technology companies and online platforms that affect the interests and market positions of a significant number of consumers and businesses. In recent years, the GVH has imposed obligations on Google and PayPal, among others, and has imposed significant fines on Apple and Booking.com in Hungary. In February 2023, the Hungarian competition authority concluded its proceedings against Wish, one of the world's largest e-commerce marketplaces, and at the end of November 2023 it closed its investigation into TikTok, which had results with global impact. In May 2024, the proceedings against Viber were concluded, as a result of which the messaging app company also committed to a series of measures.
In proceedings against global technology companies, the GVH's explicit aim is to ensure that, instead of or in addition to imposing fines, companies take measures that are in the interests of Hungarian consumers and businesses, and that protect and help Hungarian users.
Official registration number of the case: VJ/20/2023.
GVH Press
Further information:
Bálint Horváth, Head of Communication +36 20 238 6939
Katalin Gondolovics, Spokesperson +36 30 603 1170