75% of organisations worldwide set to ban ChatGPT

61% of those deploying or considering bans said the measures are intended as long term or permanent, with risks to data security, privacy, and corporate reputation driving decisions to take action. 83% also voiced concerns that unsecured apps pose a cybersecurity threat to their corporate IT environment.   

Despite their inclination towards outright bans, the majority also recognise the opportunity for Generative AI applications in the workplace to increase efficiency (55%) and innovation (52%) and enhance creativity (51%). When it comes to using Generative AI tools for cybersecurity defense, the majority of respondents (81%) remained in favour, suggesting that IT decision makers don’t want to be caught flat-footed and give cyber criminals the upper hand.   

Shishir Singh, Chief Technology Officer, Cybersecurity, at BlackBerry calls for organisations to take a cautious yet dynamic approach to Generative AI applications in the workplace, saying: “Banning Generative AI applications in the workplace can mean a wealth of potential business benefits are quashed. At BlackBerry, the pioneer of AI cybersecurity, we are innovating with enterprise-grade Generative AI, keeping a steady focus on value over hype, and are exercising caution with unsecured consumer Generative AI tools. As platforms mature and regulations take effect, flexibility could be introduced into organisational policies. The key will be in having the right tools in place for visibility, monitoring and management of applications used in the workplace.”  

The research also revealed that although 80% of IT decision makers agree that organisations are within their rights to control the applications that employees use for business purposes, 74% think that such bans signal “excessive control” over corporate and BYO devices.   

For CIO’s and CISO’s, unified endpoint management (UEM) provides the required controls over which applications can connect to the corporate environment, ensuring enterprise security together with user privacy by containerising corporate data. At a time when consumer-grade Generative AI and other unregulated applications are unsecure, an enterprise-grade UEM solution, such as BlackBerry UEM, is critical to organisations.  

Join Shishir Singh, CTO, Cybersecurity at BlackBerry, for a LinkedIn Live event exploring highlights of the report on August 10, 2023, at 9am PT/12pm ET.