Samsung Electronics has prohibited employees in its mobile and appliances division from utilizing generative AI services such as ChatGPT, the company announced on Tuesday, following incidents of misuse of the technology.
Since the launch of Microsoft-backed ChatGPT in November, there has been a surge in interest in artificial intelligence chatbots.
ChatGPT became a worldwide sensation for generating essays, songs, exams, and even news articles from simple prompts. Critics have expressed concern about how ChatGPT and its competitors gather and process data.
In recent months, several financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, have banned or restricted employees’ use of ChatGPT-like platforms.
Samsung Electronics of South Korea, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of memory chips and smartphones, has now joined that list.
A Samsung official said to the media that the ban applies to employees in the mobile and appliances divisions.
Samsung is aiming to identify ways to use generative AI services in a security-safe environment for employees to improve work efficiency and convenience.
In a statement, the company said, “We are temporarily prohibiting the use of generative AI services for company-owned computers until these measures are prepared”.
The memo from the Suwon-based corporation also warns employees to avoid uploading work-related material to such platforms when using personal computers outside company premises.
It claims that there have been instances of misuse of ChatGPT-like functionality by Samsung personnel, but provides no further details.
According to the memo, more than 60 percent of Samsung employees believed there were security issues with using generative AI platforms with company devices.
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