- Kyle Chua
Apple Bans Internal Use of ChatGPT & GitHub Copilot Over Fear of Leaks
Updated: Dec 19, 2023
Tech companies around the world are racing to build their own generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems and they don't want any secrets leaking out to the competition.
Apple is one such company, having banned the internal use of viral chatbot ChatGPT and Microsoft-owned GitHub Copilot over fears that confidential data might end up in the wrong hands, according to reports. Bloomberg's Apple insider, Mark Gurman, added that the ChatGPT has been part of the list of restricted software at the company for months.
The development comes amid the launch of the standalone ChatGPT app on iOS. OpenAI, the startup behind the chatbot, says the app makes it easier to access the service on-the-go.
Apple's ban on the use of ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot only covers employees and developers of the company. Users of the company's product aren't affected by the new restrictions in any way.
Samsung in May similarly banned its employees from using generative AI tools like ChatGPT on company-owned devices after it was found that an employee uploaded a sensitive code to the service. The South Korean electronics giant was reportedly concerned that the uploaded data is stored on external servers, which would have made it hard to retrieve or delete.
There are also companies outside of the tech industry that have restricted their staff from accessing ChatGPT. These include Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Walmart and Verizon, to name a few examples.
Apple could have implemented the ban because it's supposedly developing its own generative AI model, though it's unclear as of yet what it'll be used for. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant was said to be recently hiring generative AI talents, including those working on Siri and testing language-generating AI concepts regularly.
If Apple does enter the generative AI race, it'll likely announce whatever developments it has cooked up at its upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) next month.
Apple banned the internal use of viral chatbot ChatGPT and Microsoft-owned GitHub Copilot over fears that confidential data might leak out.
The development comes amid the launch of the standalone ChatGPT app on iOS.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant's ban on the use of ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot only covers employees and developers of the company, not users of its products.
Apple could have implemented the ban because it's supposedly developing its own generative AI model, though it's unclear as of yet what it'll be used for.