The “Big Tech” giant Apple has recently restricted company usage of the widely popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, amid fears that its sensitive data could be compromised. A report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that an internal document addressed to Apple employees has banned the use of the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT and other similar AI tools while the company develops its own AI technology.
Apple’s concern stems from the possibility of workers using these programs and potentially exposing confidential information. Alongside ChatGPT, the company has also restricted GitHub’s AI tool Copilot, an application that automates writing software code and is owned by Microsoft.
This internal ban comes shortly after ChatGPT debuted as an iOS app in the Apple app store on May 18. The app is currently available to iPhone and iPad users in the United States, with plans to expand to additional countries in the coming weeks along with an Android version “soon.”
However, Apple is not the only large company to limit professional use of ChatGPT. On May 2, Samsung also issued a memo to employees banning the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. In this case, the Korean company’s policy was a response to an incident where staff members uploaded sensitive code to the platform.
Samsung warned its employees against uploading any company information using such applications on personal devices, with consequences ranging up to the termination of employment. Other companies, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, have also prohibited internal use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
Interestingly, many of these companies, while banning employee usage of existing AI chatbots, are also in the process of creating their own applications. Back in early May, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, stated that the company plans to “weave” AI into all its products.
Whether this growing concern over the potential exposure of sensitive data is warranted remains to be seen. On the other hand, the current trend suggests that the increasing popularity of AI chatbots might contribute to an escalating competition amongst big corporations for the seamless integration of AI technology into their products and services. The resultant innovation might yield even better and more secure AI tools for future use. Nonetheless, the debate over the potential risks of using AI technology in workplaces continues, and companies must strike a delicate balance between leveraging cutting-edge technology and safeguarding their information.
Source: Cointelegraph
