Last month, a Samsung staff employee inadvertently leaked OpenAI’s ChatGPT source code, triggering an atmosphere of shock both in and outside theentity. Multiple occasions of personnel of Samsung sharing private information with an AI-dependent chatbot were noted, in particular, inserting source code of a confidential database into ChatGPT, code optimization being shared, as well as a request to convert their meeting video into minutes.
Recently, a memorandum was released to all staff, describing the company’s apprehension related to the growing use of AI applications. In the memo, it was advised that the use of such tools and programs on corporate-controlled electronic devices should be regulated. This includes prohibiting the downloading of any AI-related applications and keeping remote from any AI-generated tools on machines owned by the company. Additionally, Samsung employees are discouraged from submitting any personal or company information in to AI tools. Failure to obey the new policy can result in contract distension.
Furthermore, a survey among the company’s employees revealed that much of the staff agree that AI generated tools pose a considerable safety hazard. In response to this possible threat, the company has stated that their experts are hard at work designing their own AI tools that will contribute to the productivity of their employees but also be kept secure.
The discussion about data security is not only relevant to companies like Samsung, but to any individual that decides to provide personal information to AI chatbots. Even OpenAI itself, creators of ChatGPT, advise against giving away personal details, noting that they can’t hinder a previously given prompt.
The code-leak incident should be of great consideration to Samsung, an international organization that develops products such as televisions, mobile phones, and recording devices. This situation has made them recognize the importance of protecting their intellectual property and, above all, their customers’ data privacy. Therefore, their actions to ensure the safety of the company and its employees are essential, as well as their commitment to continuously creating tools with a high safety rating.
