Apple recently made headlines by reportedly issuing an internal memo to ban ChatGPT and other generative AI products for some of its employees. While coming as a surprise to many, the decision is a good one, as it will keep confidential data secure and will likely lead to the development of an AI program by Apple itself.
ChatGPT and other generative AI programs lack strong privacy protection, meaning that the information that it processes could potentially be used to train their programs. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, only recently introduced privacy settings to prevent such behaviors. Apple’s internal memo on the restriction of ChatGPT and other generative AI programs is a further step towards protecting its users’ data.
Other companies have implemented policies to restrict generative AI use as well. Samsung, JPMorgan Chase, Verizon, and Amazon have all restricted ChatGPT for various reasons ranging from corporate data protection to code automation.
Apart from providing privacy benefits, Apple’s decision to issue an internal memo also signals that the tech giant is working on a similar technology. They have bought AI startups in the past and have made similar moves; Apple CEO Tim Cook has even recently mentioned the importance of being ‘deliberate and thoughtful’ and the potential of AI. It is speculated that Apple is developing their own program to replace ChatGPT and other such technologies, as only ‘some’ employees have been restricted from using the generative AI programs, indicating that the restricted employees could be the team playing a role in Apple’s AI technology.
John Giannandrea, a former Googler, is the person heading the team responsible for Apple’s AI, and reports have speculated that Apple’s AI may even be used for voice commands for their up-coming AR/VRI headset. However, with challenges such as accuracy and user privacy still remaining, it remains to be seen just how quickly Apple can deliver their own ChatGPT alternative.
