Microsoft Blocks Employee Access to ChatGPT by OpenAI Temporarily Due to Security Concerns

Employee access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT was temporarily blocked by Microsoft owing to security worries. Initially reported by CNBC, this action led to a brief restriction on corporate devices, preventing them from reaching ChatGPT and other AI services like Midjourney, Replika, and Canva.

Addressing the Ramifications of ChatGPT’s Security Vulnerabilities

Microsoft pointed to "security and data concerns" as the rationale behind the curtailment. They stressed that ChatGPT is a third-party external service, advising caution concerning privacy and security threats. Nevertheless, the restriction was short-lived, with Microsoft swiftly reinstating access. They attributed the problem to an error during the testing of control systems for large language models.

This development raised questions, considering Microsoft’s significant investment in OpenAI and their close partnership. OpenAI’s AI models, including ChatGPT, have been integrated into Microsoft offerings such as Bing Chat and Bing Image Creator.

Despite its massive user base of over 100 million, ChatGPT has been under scrutiny due to worries about divulging sensitive information. Various other tech firms, including Samsung, Amazon, and Apple, have imposed bans or limitations on employee access to ChatGPT due to data security issues.

Nonetheless, Microsoft remains a supporter of ChatGPT. A Microsoft spokesperson clarified to CNBC, saying, "We were testing endpoint control systems for LLMs and inadvertently turned them on for all employees. We restored service shortly after we identified our error. As we have said previously, we encourage employees and customers to use services like Bing Chat Enterprise and ChatGPT Enterprise that come with greater levels of privacy and security protections."

This episode underscores the persistent struggles in balancing the potential advantages of AI models like ChatGPT with the necessity of addressing security and privacy concerns, particularly in corporate environments.

OpenAI Introduces GPT-4 Turbo and Reduces Prices

It proved to be a hectic week for OpenAI as they introduced their latest AI model, GPT-4 Turbo, which touts enhanced knowledge capabilities up to April 2023 and can handle significantly larger inputs. Moreover, OpenAI is slashing prices for developers utilizing its AI models.