Shruti Sneha, Pune
Employees at Amazon were cautioned against using ChatGPT and other third-party generative AI tools for tasks related to their jobs. The company has clarified its stance with this advisory, which follows Business Insider’s disclosure of internal memos it had access to.
Amazon emphasized the importance of protecting sensitive data in a recent email to employees, writing, “Although we may find ourselves using generative AI tools, particularly for convenience, we must refrain from using them for Amazon-related confidential work.” The company made it clear that sharing any staff member, customer or Amazon-related data was prohibited when using third-party generative AI tools.
The potential risks associated with these kinds of tools are further highlighted by additional information about Amazon’s internal policy regarding the use and interaction of third-party generative AI. The policy states that companies that provide generative AI services may be able to claim ownership or licensing rights for any content that employees submit. These and other outputs, such as emails, internal documentation, and pre-launch materials, are available for access, examination, and distribution by the generative AI’s owners.
Like other tech giants like Samsung and Apple, Amazon has also placed limitations on the internal use of generative AI tools. This cautious approach is consistent with their stance. These limitations are partly due to ownership rights concerns, especially considering Microsoft’s substantial investment in OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT.
Despite the company’s investment in OpenAI, Microsoft even temporarily restricted its employees’ access to internal generative AI tools. This highlights the different things to think about and the issues with using external AI tools in business environments.
Comfortingly, an Amazon representative named Adam Montgomery stated that the company has been actively developing generative AI and large-scale machine learning models. Although he emphasized that employees use these tools daily, he also mentioned that the company has taken steps to ensure that security and private information policies are followed. Amazon’s alert underscores the company’s resolve to safeguard confidential data and maintain control over proprietary information despite the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.