AI is growing and blooming like anything. We are in the middle of an AI revolution, and not many know how to deal with the sensitivities that come along with it. Governments across the globe are finding it difficult to deal with artificial Intelligence. Now, the US Govt office has asked its employees and members not to use Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT due to security concerns.
An Axios report reveals that the decision came following worries about data leaks to unauthorised cloud services. The Office of Cybersecurity highlighted the potential risks as they deal with highly sensitive data. Through a memo, House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor shared the decision and said that they cannot use Copilot on government-issued devices. However, they can still use it on personal devices.
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In response to the ban, a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters, “We recognize that government users have higher security requirements for data. That’s why we announced a roadmap of Microsoft AI tools, like Copilot, that meet federal government security and compliance requirements that we intend to deliver later this year.”
However, Szpindor’s memo says that members can use ChatGPT Plus for specific purposes as it offers greater privacy and security. Further, Szpindor’s office will eventually evaluate Copilot’s government version upon release, to see if it is suitable for House devices.
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With the US going into elections this year, cyber security and the influence of AI-generated content on federal elections is a centre of attention.
Previously, tech giants like Samsung and Apple also put restrictions on the use of AI tools owing to privacy concerns stemming from past OpenAI mishaps. It is a tricky territory that we are dealing with.
