Samsung bans use of ChatGPT for employees

Samsung has reportedly blocked the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT on company-owned devices as well as non-company-owned devices running on internal networks.

According to TechCrunch, the decision has apparently been taken after sensitive data from Samsung was accidentally leaked to ChatGPT last month.

According to earlier reports, soon after Samsung's semiconductor division started allowing engineers to use ChatGPT, workers leaked secret info to it on at least three occasions.

Now, the company has banned ChatGPT and other AI services like Microsoft's Bing and Google's Bard on computers, tablets and phones in the company. The rule would only apply to devices issued by Samsung to its workers.

Consumers and others that own Samsung phones, laptops and other connected devices would not be impacted. Samsung did not immediately comment on the report. According to a memo seen by Bloomberg, the restriction would be temporary, lasting until it builds "security measures to create a secure environment for safely using generative AI to enhance employees' productivity and efficiency".

In the aftermath of the data leak, Samsung also asked staff using generative AI tools elsewhere "not to submit any company-related information or personal data", which could disclose its intellectual property, according to the memo. ChatGPT's data policy states that, unless users explicitly opt out, it uses their prompts to train its models. Samsung is said to be developing its own in-house AI tools for "software development and translation".