Samsung Electronics Co. has barred employees from using AI chatbots and other generative AI tools after discovering that staff uploaded sensitive code to ChatGPT. The move comes after the South Korea-based company notified staff at one of its biggest divisions on Monday about the new policy via a memo, according to Bloomberg News.
Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace as it allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency. However, the use of this technology in workflows often involves feeding sensitive information to it, raising concerns about data security.
The document highlights that Samsung is concerned that data transmitted to AI platforms like these, including Google Bard and Bing, is stored on external servers, making it difficult to retrieve and delete. This could potentially result in the disclosure of sensitive information to other users, leading to serious consequences for the company.
“Interest in generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT has been growing internally and externally,” Samsung told staff. “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 generative AI ban covers company-owned computers, tablets, and phones, as well as its internal networks. Any disclosure of confidential or personal information related to the company on generative AI tools has been prohibited and could even lead to termination of employment.
“We ask that you diligently adhere to our security guidelines, 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,” the memo read.
The memo also noted that Samsung engineers accidentally leaked internal source code by uploading it to ChatGPT last month, although it didn’t specify what that code pertained to.
Samsung is currently developing internal AI tools for translation, summarizing documents, and software development. The company is also working on ways to block the uploading of sensitive information to external services, as well as improving data security measures for their employees.
The use of generative AI in the workplace is becoming more prevalent, as businesses look to automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency. However, the potential risks associated with this technology cannot be ignored. Companies must be diligent in ensuring that sensitive information is not being fed into these platforms and that data security measures are in place to protect against leaks and breaches.
Samsung’s decision to ban employees from using ChatGPT-like technology highlights the importance of data security in the workplace. While generative AI tools can be useful for automating repetitive tasks, it is crucial that sensitive information is not fed into these platforms. Companies must implement robust data security measures to protect against leaks and breaches and ensure that their employees are adhering to these guidelines.
