- Internal email reveals European Parliament banned AI tools over cloud processing
- “Some of these features use cloud services to perform tasks that could be handled locally”
- Workers are also advised to exercise caution when using personal devices and AI for work tasks.
The European Parliament has disabled built-in AI features on the devices it distributes to its employees for cybersecurity and data protection reasons.
An internal memo cited by Policy said IT cannot guarantee the security of some AI tools, particularly those that rely on cloud services that send data off-device instead of processing it locally.
While the European Parliament is reportedly assessing the extent of data shared with service providers to potentially reactivate certain AI tools, these have been deactivated for now.
European Parliament bans AI over data security concerns
“Some of these features use cloud services to perform tasks that could be managed locally, by sending data from the device,” the letter said, suggesting that current tools could be more secure.
Although access to generative AI tools has been reduced for now, the European Parliament has not removed access to essential workplace tools like emails, calendars and office applications. Parliament also did not mention which AI features or systems are involved.
Although the data security argument has merit, European officials have also stepped up efforts to turn their backs on big U.S. tech companies, including Microsoft. A company that just so happens to offer operating system, productivity and AI software to European civil servants. Could technological sovereignty also play a role in banning AI?
The help desk also asked workers to “consider applying similar precautions” on their own personal devices, including “avoiding[ing[ granting broad access to data” and not sharing sensitive info with AI chatbots.
A European Parliament spokesperson told Politico it “constantly monitor[s] cybersecurity threats and quickly deploys the necessary measures to prevent them.
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