US Congressional staff members can no longer use Microsoft’s Copilot on their government-issued devices, according to Axios. The publication said it obtained a memo from House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor, telling Congress personnel that the AI chatbot is now officially prohibited. Apparently, the Office of Cybersecurity has deemed Copilot to be a risk “due to the threat of leaking House data to non-House approved cloud services.” While there’s nothing stopping them from using Copilot on their own phones and laptops, it will now be blocked on all Windows devices owned by the Congress.
Almost a year ago, the Congress also set a strict limit on the use of ChatGPT, which is powered by OpenAI’s large language models, just like Copilot. It banned staffers from using the chatbot’s free version on House computers, but it allowed them to continue using the paid (ChatGPT Plus) version for research and evaluation due to its tighter privacy controls. More recently, the White House revealed rules federal agencies have to follow when it comes to generative AI, which would ensure that any tool they use “do not endanger the rights and safety” of Americans.
Microsoft told Axios that it does recognize government users’ need for higher security requirements. Last year, it announced a roadmap of tools and services meant for government use, including an Azure OpenAI service for classified workloads and a new version of Microsoft 365’s Copilot assistant. The company said that all those tools and services will feature higher levels of security that would make it more suitable for handling sensitive data. Szpindor’s office, according to Axios, will evaluate the government version Copilot when it becomes available before deciding if it can be used on House devices.
Trending Products
![Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX Tower with Magnetic Design Dust Filter, Transparent Acrylic Side Panel…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WfytAtGCL._SS300_.jpg)
Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX Tower with Magnetic Design Dust Filter, Transparent Acrylic Side Panel…
![ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 ZAKU II Edition ATX mid-Tower Compact case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, Honeycomb Front Panel…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41JUuW8Yc5S._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 ZAKU II Edition ATX mid-Tower Compact case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, Honeycomb Front Panel…
![ASUS TUF Gaming GT501 Mid-Tower Computer Case for up to EATX Motherboards with USB 3.0 Front Panel Cases GT501/GRY/WITH…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41j9qzlOi2L._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS TUF Gaming GT501 Mid-Tower Computer Case for up to EATX Motherboards with USB 3.0 Front Panel Cases GT501/GRY/WITH…
![be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Black, Mid Tower ATX case, ARGB, 3 pre-installed Pure Wings 2, BGW37, tempered glass window](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41xW6xrbicL._SS300_.jpg)
be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Black, Mid Tower ATX case, ARGB, 3 pre-installed Pure Wings 2, BGW37, tempered glass window
![ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601 White Edition RGB Mid-Tower Computer Case for ATX/EATX Motherboards with tempered glass…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41T-2v3IuML._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601 White Edition RGB Mid-Tower Computer Case for ATX/EATX Motherboards with tempered glass…
![Bgears b-Voguish Gaming PC with Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower, USB3.0, Support E-ATX, ATX, mATX, ITX. (Note: Fan NOT…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41p2u3NJN6L._SS300_.jpg)