Office workers catching 'ChatGPT fever' as usage surges

According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, many American workers are adopting ChatGPT to assist with everyday tasks, even as tech giants like Microsoft and Google have restricted its use due to security concerns.

ChatGPT, a chatbot program powered by generative AI, is being explored by companies worldwide as a way to facilitate conversations and address various prompts. However, security firms and businesses are raising alarms about potential intellectual property and strategic leaks.

Individuals have reported utilizing ChatGPT to draft emails, summarize documents, and conduct initial research, among other tasks.

Of those surveyed in the online poll on artificial intelligence (AI) conducted from July 11 to 17, 28% said they regularly employ ChatGPT at work. Surprisingly, only 22% indicated that their employers explicitly sanctioned the use of external AI tools.

Around 10% of respondents noted that their bosses had expressly banned the use of external AI tools, while approximately 25% were unsure whether their companies permitted such technology usage.

Since its launch in November, ChatGPT has become the fastest-growing app in history, eliciting excitement and concern. These dynamics have put its developer, OpenAI, at odds with regulators, especially in Europe, where privacy watchdogs have criticized the company's extensive data collection practices.

ChatGPT's usage involves human reviewers from various firms reading the generated conversations. Researchers have discovered that similar AI models can replicate absorbed training data, raising concerns about the potential risk to proprietary information.

"People do not understand how the data is used when they use generative AI services," cautioned Ben King, VP of customer trust at corporate security firm Okta. He emphasized that this is a significant concern for businesses.

OpenAI declined to comment on the implications of individual employees using ChatGPT but emphasized that corporate partners' data would not be used to further train the chatbot without explicit permission.

As concerns mount, it's important for users to comprehend the potential risks associated with utilizing AI services like ChatGPT. While many employees are finding value in ChatGPT's capabilities, businesses need to balance productivity enhancements with data security measures.

[Information from Reuters]