Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google, has issued a warning to its employees about the use of chatbots, including its own AI chatbot, Google Bard. The company advised its employees not to input confidential materials into AI chatbots, as human reviewers may read the chats, and the AI could reproduce the data it absorbed during training, creating a potential leak risk. Apple has also banned the use of generative AI tools by its employees.
Alphabet also alerted its engineers to avoid direct use of computer code that chatbots can generate, as Bard can make undesired code suggestions but still aids programmers. Google emphasized its aim to be transparent about the limitations of its technology.
Google’s cautionary stance reflects a growing trend in corporate security. Companies are increasingly warning their personnel about using publicly available chat programs.
Google is currently rolling out Bard to more than 180 countries and in 40 languages as a springboard for creativity. However, the company is also extending its warnings to Bard’s code suggestions. In response to a report about the postponement of Bard’s EU launch due to privacy concerns, Google told Reuters it is addressing regulators’ questions and has had detailed conversations with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.
Microsoft’s Bing Chat AI search chatbot has had a rollercoaster journey so far, currently facing criticism after providing misleading information to users who searched for Chrome on Microsoft’s Edge Browser.
The regulatory landscape for AI chatbots has also been evolving. In May 2023, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the company might have to cease operations in the EU due to the proposed AI Act by the European Union. However, he later clarified that OpenAI had no plans to leave the EU and welcomed a proactive approach to AI governance.
Despite the challenges, AI chatbots continue to evolve rapidly, with Microsoft issuing a significant update for Bing Chat in May 2023, introducing multimodal capabilities, history, and Edge actions. OpenAI’s ChatGPT now supports plugins, and Microsoft has announced an upcoming plugin-ecosystem for Bing, ChatGPT, and other Microsoft Products.
