Topline
Apple has blocked the use of AI tools for some of its staffers, becoming the latest major firm to restrict the use of generative AI platforms at work, amid concerns employees may leak sensitive internal data.
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address during a special event in the Steve Jobs Theater on … [+]
Key Facts
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has barred its employees from using ChatGPT and other AI-powered services like Github’s Copilot, which helps developers write code.
The ban stems from concerns about the data-handling practices of these AI platforms—which are either owned or financially backed by Apple’s rival Microsoft—as it could compromise Apple’s proprietary code or other sensitive data, the report adds.
Rival smartphone maker Samsung implemented a similar ban on ChatGPT and other AI tools earlier this month, after discovering an accidental leak of sensitive code by an engineer who uploaded it to ChatGPT.
In January, Amazon banned staffers from sharing any code or confidential information with OpenAI’s chatbot after claiming it discovered examples of ChatGPT responses that resembled internal Amazon data.
In February, JPMorgan Chase severely restricted the internal use of ChatGPT to avoid potential regulatory pitfalls over the sharing of sensitive financial information with a third-party platform.
Since then, other banks such as Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs, have followed suit, banning the use of AI chatbots by staffers.
News Peg
Most companies banning the use of third-party AI tools are concerned about how services like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard store data shared with them on servers. The other complication stems from the fact that most chatbots and AI services rely on user inputs to train their models and may accidentally serve other users a company’s proprietary data without even being aware of it. While ChatGPT offers users a way to disable saving chat histories, it is not turned on by default. It is also unclear if deleting a chat has any impact if a service has already used the conversation for training its models. In March, OpenAI had to briefly shut down ChatGPT to resolve a bug that allowed some users to see parts of another user’s chat history.
Contra
Despite some companies restricting the use of AI services at work, several others have already begun adding these tools to their workflow. Goldman Sachs—one of the banks limiting the use of ChatGPT by staffers—disclosed it was using generative AI tools to help its software developers write and test code. Management consulting firm Bain & Company announced earlier this year it was integrating OpenAI’s generative tools into its management systems. Others have expressed bullishness about leveraging the power of AI, saying they believe it can replace a significant chunk of their human workforce. On Thursday, BT said it plans to replace at least 10,000 workers—mostly people with customer service and network management roles—with AI-powered tools over the next decade. Earlier this month, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the company will stop hiring humans for jobs that AI can fulfill.
What To Watch For
It’s worth noting that these bans on AI tools by some companies do not necessarily stem from broader concerns about artificial intelligence itself, but rather from how third-party AI platform holders like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft will handle proprietary data shared on these services. The Journal’s report notes that Apple is working on its own AI tools, led by former Google employee John Giannandrea. In Apple’s most recent earnings call, the company’s CEO Tim Cook said he thought “it’s very important to be deliberate and thoughtful in how you approach these things…but the potential is certainly very interesting.”
Further Reading
Apple Restricts Employee Use of ChatGPT, Joining Other Companies Wary of Leaks (Wall Street Journal)
New York City Public Schools Reverses ChatGPT Ban (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/05/19/apple-joins-a-growing-list-of-companies-cracking-down-on-use-of-chatgpt-by-staffers-heres-why/