National Archives Bans Employee Use of ChatGPT

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) told employees Wednesday that it is blocking access to ChatGPT on agency-issued laptops to 'protect our data from security threats associated with use of ChatGPT,' 404 Media reported Wednesday. From the report: 'NARA will block access to commercial ChatGPT on NARANet [an internal network] and on NARA issued laptops, tablets, desktop computers, and mobile phones beginning May 6, 2024,' an email sent to all employees, and seen by 404 Media, reads. 'NARA is taking this action to protect our data from security threats associated with use of ChatGPT.'

The move is particularly notable considering that this directive is coming from, well, the National Archives, whose job is to keep an accurate historical record. The email explaining the ban says the agency is particularly concerned with internal government data being incorporated into ChatGPT and leaking through its services. 'ChatGPT, in particular, actively incorporates information that is input by its users in other responses, with no limitations. Like other federal agencies, NARA has determined that ChatGPT's unrestricted approach to reusing input data poses an unacceptable risk to NARA data security,' the email reads. The email goes on to explain that 'If sensitive, non-public NARA data is entered into ChatGPT, our data will become part of the living data set without the ability to have it removed or purged.'

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