Samsung bans employees from using generative AI chatbots

Samsung bans employees from using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT due to fears of leaking confidential data. Bloomberg reports this.

Management notified staff in one of the company’s largest divisions of the new policy in an internal memo. The company is concerned that data transmitted to AI platforms is stored on external servers.

This makes retrieval and deletion more difficult. Secret information could also fall into the hands of third parties, according to the document.

A Samsung spokesperson confirmed the ban on using AI-powered chatbots.

“Attention to generative AI platforms like ChatGPT is rising both inside the company and beyond. […] While this interest is focused on usefulness and efficiency, concerns about security risks are also growing,” said company representatives.

The new rules prohibit the use of generative AI systems on company-owned computers, tablets and phones, as well as on internal networks. Management has asked employees using ChatGPT and other tools on personal devices not to disclose any corporate information or data that could reveal the company’s intellectual property.

Violation of the policy could lead to dismissal.

“We urge you to strictly comply with our security rules, […] failure to comply may lead to the compromise of company information, which will entail disciplinary actions up to dismissal,” Samsung memo says.

At the same time the corporation is developing its own AI tools to work with internal documentation and code. Samsung is also working on methods to block the upload of confidential company information to external services.

“The headquarters is reviewing security measures […]. However, until they are ready, we are temporarily restricting the use of generative AI,” the document says.

In April, media reported that Samsung employees had disclosed confidential information about ChatGPT at least three times. The leak occurred soon after the ban on using the chatbot was lifted.