A warning has recently been issued by Team8 – an Israeli-based venture firm – that companies utilizing generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT could risk exposing confidential customer information and trade secrets. This is due to the widespread use of these chatbots and writing tools and how they could be exploited to gain access to sensitive corporate data. These chatbots and writing tools are being used by major companies including Microsoft Corporation, Alphabet Inc., and other tech companies to improve their chatbots, search engines, and provide users with quick and easy answers to their queries.
The Team8 report revealed that confidential or private data entered into the chatbots could be hard to erase and the possibility that the information that had been collected by the AI companies from users could be used to power their programs in the future. The report also stressed that queries for these chatbots are not currently being fed into large-language models for training purposes. This is contrary to reports that have surfaced claiming that such prompts could potentially be viewed by others.
The report classifies the risks as ‘high’ and also stresses the heightened threat that data being passed through third-party applications could pose. Microsoft Vice President, Ann Johnson, was part of the writing team that created the report. Microsoft, who has invested billions into Open AI (ChatGPT’s developer), encourages transparent talks on the evolving cyber risks in the security and AI communities. The report was then endorsed by Michael Rogers, the former head of US National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, as well as by multiple chief information security officers of US companies.
Microsoft Corporation is a world-renowned multinational technology company based in Redmond, Washington, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Since then, the company has grown to become one of the most successful technology companies in the world. From software, cloud services, and hardware to videogames, retail and other services, the company is engaged in the main areas of technology and has great influence in the technological industry, becoming one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Ann Johnson is a corporate vice president at Microsoft. She is involved in the company’s Product Collaboration and Integrations segments, in addition to her work with AI and Machine Learning. She was a key member of the writing team for the Team8 report and has made significant contributions to modern technology. Johnson has also held various leadership roles in diverse markets and has participated in various seminars, conferences and panels. Johnson became the first executive with African American heritage to lead the Worldwide Cybersecurity division at Microsoft and brings with her over 20 experience of leadership within Microsoft.
