Amid its global marketing push for AI chatbot technologies, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is reportedly warning its employees about using such chatbots, including its own product, Bard. This cautionary stance is taken in light of data leak concerns and is an effort to prevent the misuse of AI programs.
That’s according to four unnamed sources speaking to Reuters. Alphabet has advised its employees against entering any confidential data into AI chatbots, highlighting its long-established policy of maintaining information security.
Chatbots like Bard and ChatGPT use generative artificial intelligence to converse with users, and their training could potentially allow them to reproduce sensitive data absorbed during the process.
Further, Google urged its engineers to abstain from directly using computer-generated codes from these chatbots, citing the possibility of undesired code suggestions. While acknowledging these limitations, Google affirmed its commitment to transparency and stressed Bard’s helpfulness to programmers.
The proactive measures taken by Google reflect a growing trend among corporations to exercise caution with publicly available chat programs. Many global businesses including Samsung, Amazon.com, and Deutsche Bank have already put precautions in place with AI chatbots, while others like Apple are said to have done the same.
This corporate vigilance stems from a growing use of AI tools by professionals, often unbeknownst to their employers. A recent survey by networking site Fishbowl reported that 43% of professionals were utilizing AI tools such as ChatGPT.
The current developments suggest a broader rivalry in the tech industry, with Google vying against ChatGPT’s backers, OpenAI and Microsoft Corp, for dominance in the AI market. The success in this competition could translate to billions in investments and a significant surge in advertising and cloud revenues.
Google is extending its use of Bard to over 180 countries and in 40 languages, positioning it as a catalyst for creative innovation. But Bard still is not available in Canada yet.
However, with Bard’s launch, Google continues to extend warnings regarding Bard’s code suggestions and the potential privacy implications. The company is currently in discussions with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission to address regulatory concerns related to Bard’s EU launch.
