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Samsung Cracks Down on Internal ChatGPT Use
Underscoring widespread concerns about ChatGPT's security and privacy implications, electronics manufacturer Samsung has prohibited its employees from using the chatbot and similar tools.
Late last month, Samsung employees were sent a memo requesting that they stop use of generative AI tools, according to a Bloomberg report. The memo came after an employee was found to have uploaded internal code to ChatGPT.
"Interest in generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT has been growing internally and externally," read the memo to Samsung employees. "While this interest focuses on the usefulness and efficiency of these platforms, there are also growing concerns about security risks presented by generative AI."
The new policy extends to all company-owned devices and the use of generative AI tools for personal devices attached to internal networks. The company also asked that employees refrain from uploading any information that could be considered sensitive to the tools when using personal devices.
"We ask that you diligently adhere to our security guideline and failure to do so may result in a breach or compromise of company information resulting in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment," read the memo.
ChatGPT saves inputted user chats to improve its communication abilities by default. OpenAI released an incognito feature that would block user data from being collected. However, in the memo Samsung said that the new feature does not go far enough to alleviate the company's security and privacy concerns.
For its part, Samsung said it is developing its own set of generative AI tools for employee use that will assist in search and code development.
Samsung joins a growing list of companies looking to block the use of generative AI tools, which includes Amazon and many of the financial heavy hitters, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citigroup, to name a few.