As more companies ban their staff from accessing increasingly intelligent artificial intelligence, Apple is latest to join the fold as it works on developing rival platform.
ADVERTISEMENTIn the same week that OpenAI has launched a ChatGPT app on iPhones, Apple has restricted employee access to the large language model (LLM) and other external artificial intelligence (AI) products.
A report by the Wall Street Journal states that the tech giant has issued an internal document to its employees which outlines a ban across using generative AI tools over fears its company data could be compromised while it develops its own similar software.
Apple joins a list of companies who have already barred employee access to ChatGPT and similar AI platforms. So far, these include Amazon, Samsung and JP Morgan Chase.
According to the report from WSJ, “Apple is concerned workers who use these types of programmes could release confidential data”.
Apple has also told employees not to use Microsoft-owned GitHub’s Copilot, which automates the writing of software code.
Concerns arise that when people use these models, the input data is harvested by the companies behind them - theoretically to continuously improve the product’s offering.
While data collection is an issue resurfacing across the Internet, it’s seen as especially terrifying when it’s in the hands of AI that can seemingly think for itself.
The WSJ report adds that Apple has recently acquired several AI start-ups in its efforts to develop a rival platform to ChatGPT.
As the Journal explains, “Apple was an early entrant into the consumer application of artificial intelligence when it launched the Siri voice assistant in 2011. But the company fell behind the likes of Amazon’s Alexa in subsequent years”.
While the AI race heats up between some of the world’s biggest names in tech, the pressure is on to develop the next best tool to rival OpenAI’s groundbreaking product.
