Samsung Electronics Co. has decided to ban its employees from using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, after the company found staff had uploaded sensitive source code to the model without permission. As a result, the company is concerned that this code could be used by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to its systems and products. In addition, the ban also covers tools such as OpenAI GPT-2, Google Brain’s Talkatora, and Microsoft’s Turing Natural Language Generator. The use of any of these AI tools for personal or corporate use is now forbidden and Samsung Electronics Co. is expected to take disciplinary action against any employees found to be in violation of the policy.
Bloomberg was able to secure a copy of an internal document in which the corporation expressed concerns about the possibility of user sharing of data used in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. According to the document, this restriction was put into place in response to Samsung engineers accidentally disclosing private source code by posting it to ChatGPT in April.
Samsung stated in the letter that failure to follow security policies “may result in a breach or compromise of company information resulting in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.” In order to provide all employees with a secure environment in which to use artificial intelligence, the firm said that it is now assessing its security standards. However, for the time being, it is restricting the use of generative AI. A request for comment about the ban from Insider to Samsung, OpenAI, and Google did not immediately get a response.
With this policy, Samsung joins a plethora of other businesses and organizations that have restricted the use of generative AI technologies, while the specific justifications for the limitations differ. According to CNN, JPMorgan has restricted its usage due to compliance issues, and a number of other institutions, including Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo, have either prohibited or limited their use. While ChatGPT has been temporarily banned in Italy, ChatGPT has been banned in New York City schools due to concerns about cheating and false information.
Samsung is rumored to be waiting to create internal solutions before allowing its staff to use AI technologies. According to Bloomberg, the company is developing software and tools to assist in translation and document summarization. Consumer electronics like laptops and phones are exempt from any generative AI limits.
