US Govt blocks Copilot from government-issued PCs

After blocking ChatGPT from government-issued PCs, the US government is now blocking Microsoft’s` Copilot AI as it believes that it entails some major security concerns. In a recent development, US Congressional staff members have been prohibited from using Microsoft’s Copilot on their government-issued devices. The directive came through a memo from House Chief Administrative Officer citing concerns regarding the potential risk of leaking House data.

While staffers are still permitted to use Copilot on personal phones and laptops, its use has been blocked on all Windows devices owned by Congress.

This move follows a similar restriction imposed almost a year ago on the use of ChatGPT, another AI chatbot powered by OpenAI’s large language models. The previous ban however allowed the paid version, ChatGPT Plus, to be used for research and evaluation purposes due to its stricter privacy controls.

Additionally, the White House recently unveiled regulations outlining the use of generative AI by federal agencies, emphasising the need to safeguard the rights and safety of Americans.

Reacting to the concerns, Microsoft acknowledged the necessity for heightened security measures among government users. The company had previously announced plans to introduce a suite of tools and services tailored for government use, including an Azure OpenAI service for classified workloads and an enhanced version of Microsoft 365’s Copilot assistant.

These offerings are expected to boast enhanced security features designed to better handle sensitive data.