Ouch! Critical Hit for OpenAI
Microsoft Mistrusts ChatGPT for Enterprise Work
OpenAI investor Microsoft implemented a temporary ban on ChatGPT for enterprise work without specifying the security concerns.
- Microsoft cited cybersecurity concerns as the reasons for blocking several AI tools for employees.
- Microsoft backtracked, reinstating access to ChatGPT and attributing the temporary blockage to an error during testing.
On November 9th, Microsoft briefly restricted its employees’ access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, citing security and data concerns.
Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest backer, took this precautionary measure without disclosing the specific details of the concerns in question. To be fair to the enterprise, however, ChatGPT was down recently due to cyberattacks.
In an internal update seen by CNBC, Microsoft said, “Due to security and data concerns a number of AI tools are no longer available for employees to use.” They discouraged employees from using third-party external AI services. But in the same breath, encouraged them to use Bing Enterprise and ChatGPT Enterprise as they allegedly boast higher overall security.
Ironically, despite the enormous investment and constant involvement, Microsoft still considers ChatGPT “a third-party external service.” Therefore, employees must be careful using it. Instead, they want them to use their own Bing Chat tool that relies on OpenAI’s technology…
As quickly as it made the announcement, the Windows maker backtracked. The team unblocked ChatGPT access, citing an error during testing. In fact, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC that they were testing “endpoint control systems” for large language models (LLM). They accidentally turned them on companywide.
Also, for the record, neither Microsoft nor OpenAI ever disclosed potential data breaches, data leaks, or misuse of sensitive information. in fact, Microsoft has been looking into integrating OpenAI’s services into its Windows operating system and Office applications.
Talk about mixed signals from the tech titan.
We’ve been seeing a growing number of tech companies carefully monitoring the usage of AI tools for work. All to prevent potential data leaks.
What’s interesting here is that however you spin it, Microsoft doesn’t trust regular ChatGPT. This is either a weird marketing strategy for their Enterprise offers or an indication that Frankenstein is having second thoughts about his monster.
So, what are we doing trusting it then? Microsoft pounced on OpenAI when it first released the LLM with a $10 billion investment. We all then bought the hype and carved out neat little places for it in our daily lives. But now that everything is said and done, the company is reluctant to have some of its own medicine. Doesn’t that raise some red flags?
If tech Titan and ChatGPT godfather Microsoft is apprehensive about OpenAI’s LLM, shouldn’t we be as well?
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