The US House of Representatives has placed a strict ban on Congressional staffers using Microsoft’s Copilot generative AI assistant. The decision was made due to concerns raised by the Office of Cybersecurity about the potential risk of leaking House data to unauthorized cloud services. Catherine Szpindor, the House’s Chief Administrative Officer, announced the ban in a statement.
The Office of Cybersecurity emphasized that the use of Copilot poses a significant risk to user data security and privacy. The order stated that Copilot will be removed from and blocked on all House Windows devices to prevent any potential breaches. Last year, the House implemented restrictions on the use of ChatGPT, allowing only limited use of the paid version while banning the free version.
Copilot, developed by Microsoft and based on technology from OpenAI, is an AI assistant designed to assist users with various tasks. In response to the ban, Microsoft expressed understanding of the government’s need for heightened data security. The company mentioned initiatives to develop AI tools like Copilot that meet federal government security and compliance requirements, with plans to deliver them later this year.
Notably, other major companies such as Samsung, JPMorgan, Amazon and others have also cautioned employees against uploading confidential information, including code, to AI tools like ChatGPT due to security concerns. It highlights the increasing importance of data protection in the age of advanced AI technology.
