US Congress restricts staff from using Microsoft's Copilot: Here's why
The US House of Representatives has prohibited its staff members from using Microsoft's AI-driven chatbot, Copilot, according to a report by Axios. The ban was announced by the House's Chief Administrative Officer, Catherine Szpindor, who declared that Microsoft Copilot is "unauthorized for House use." The Office of Cybersecurity has identified the application as "a risk to users due to the threat of leaking House data to non-House approved cloud services."
Microsoft Copilot to be removed from House devices
In line with the new guidelines, Microsoft Copilot will be removed and blocked from all House Windows devices. This decision mirrors the concerns of many companies that have chosen to limit access to consumer chatbots like ChatGPT due to potential data leakage issues. Increasingly, businesses are opting for versions designed for commercial use that offer assurances against using data to train future models, thus reducing data leakage risks.
Microsoft plans government-specific AI tools
In response to these security concerns, Microsoft has announced plans to launch a suite of tools specifically designed for government use this summer. These tools are intended to meet Congress's security needs. A representative from Microsoft told Axios, "We recognize that government users have higher security requirements for data," and added that they plan to offer AI tools like Copilot that comply with federal government security and regulatory standards later this year.
Ban applies only to commercial variant of Copilot
Szpindor's office clarified that their directive only applies to the commercial version of Copilot. They will evaluate the government version once it is released and make a decision accordingly. Microsoft's Copilot, an AI-driven assistant, is built on technology from OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. The company offers both free and premium versions of the software for consumers, along with a range of premium options for businesses that are compatible with Office applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Similar restrictions placed on ChatGPT free version
The prohibition of Copilot use by congressional staff echoes a similar restriction imposed in June 2023 on ChatGPT, another AI-driven chatbot. Staff members were allowed limited use of the premium version while the free version was completely banned. The move is part of a wider initiative by the federal government to regulate its internal use of AI technology and simultaneously develop rules for this rapidly advancing sector.