Apple Follows its Rival Samsung, Bans ChatGPT Over Privacy Fears

Yana Khare 22 May, 2023 • 3 min read

Apple bans employees to use ChatGPT. | OpenAI | Artificial Intelligence

In a move that may surprise many, Apple has joined rival tech giant Samsung in banning employee use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT artificial intelligence platform. Apple’s decision comes after raising privacy concerns over employees’ potential to mishandle and leak confidential company data.

Learn More: What is ChatGPT? Everything You Need to Know

Why Did Apple Ban ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot developed by OpenAI. It generates human-like responses to text-based conversations. It uses the latest natural language processing (NLP) techniques. It’s a viral tool among businesses and individuals alike. But concerns have been raised about the security of the data transmitted through these platforms.

According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, Apple restricted internal use of the AI chatbot over data leak concerns. The same report cited similar concerns at Samsung, which banned employee use of ChatGPT earlier this month.

Also Read: Samsung Bans Employees From Using Generative AI Due to Security Concerns

Both companies are concerned that employees may feed sensitive corporate information into OpenAI’s platform, potentially allowing competitors to harvest competitive information. They also worry that data sent to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Bing may be stored on external servers and could be difficult to retrieve or delete.

Also Read: Chatgpt-4 v/s Google Bard: A Head-to-Head Comparison

The Concerns Don’t Just Stop At ChatGPT

Apple’s concern did not end with OpenAI’s wildly popular chatbot but also included Microsoft’s recently released software programming assistant, Github Copilot. Therefore, Apple has also barred staff from using GitHub’s Copilot, a tool that helps write code with auto-completion.

Also Read: Microsoft Power Platform Copilot: No Coding Era Is Coming

Apple’s Stance on Artificial Intelligence

Apple has made strides into artificial intelligence, starting with its Siri virtual assistant for iPhones in October 2011. In March, Apple acquired WaveOne, a California-based startup that develops AI algorithms for video compression. It’s one of many AI-centric companies that Apple has received over the years.

However, during a second-quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook urged caution in handling artificial intelligence. “I think it’s essential to be deliberate and thoughtful in how you approach these things,” he said.

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Samsung and Apple banning employee use of ChatGPT over privacy concerns

With big names like Samsung and Apple banning employee use of ChatGPT, it’s clear that companies are taking privacy concerns seriously. However, OpenAI has already sold a private ChatGPT to Morgan Stanley. This service allows employees to ask questions and analyze content in thousands of the bank’s market research documents.

Microsoft is also working on a ChatGPT version targeting business customers to address privacy concerns. It remains to be seen whether other companies will follow suit and ban employee use of ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools or if they will find ways to mitigate the privacy risks associated with these platforms.