Samsung Bans ChatGPT and Other Generative AI Tools After Internal Data Leak

Samsung is restricting use of the generative AI service one month after private, sensitive information from the company was unintentionally disclosed to ChatGPT. The electronics behemoth intends to temporarily ban the use of generative AI tools on company-owned computers, tablets, and phones, as well as on non-company-owned devices operating on internal networks.

Not only would ChatGPT be subject to the restriction, but also other generative AI services like Google's Bard and Microsoft's Bing that employ the same technology.

Bloomberg was the first to report the impending ban. Customers and other individuals who own Samsung phones, laptops, and other connected devices would not be affected by the rule because it would only apply to devices that Samsung gives to its employees. It is unclear whether it is already working or when it will.

Bloomberg obtained a memo from Monday stating that the restriction would be temporary and last until "security measures to create a secure environment for safely using generative AI to enhance employees' productivity and efficiency" are implemented.

According to the report, the tech company with its headquarters in South Korea is said to be developing its own in-house AI tools for "software development and translation."

OpenAI Impact

Since its release in November, OpenAI's generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has gained a lot of traction all over the world. Users rely on it to provide text-based responses to questions about everything from basic research to business-related tasks and more. However, significant obstacles stand in the way of some of this AI boon. Others have pointed out potential data privacy and copyright violations, as well as inaccuracies in ChatGPT's responses, in addition to proprietary data leaking to the service, as it did with Samsung last month.

On March 11, the tech giant made generative AI available to employees working in its device solutions (DS) division, which oversees its semiconductor and display businesses. According to the memo reviewed by Bloomberg, Samsung also instructed staff using generative AI tools elsewhere "not to submit any company-related information or personal data" following the data leak, which could reveal its intellectual property.

OpenAI has been working to get rid of some of the most publicized bans and fix some of the more contentious issues. After OpenAI unveiled a plan to implement new privacy controls, ChatGPT services were most recently resumed in Italy. Other businesses that have recently restricted employees' access to ChatGPT include Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan, among others.

In South Korea, other huge tech organizations, including LG and memory chip creator SK Hynix, are battling to make their own rules for utilizing generative computer based intelligence apparatuses.