Apple Bans Employees From Using ChatGPT Amid Its Own AI Efforts

Apple has restricted employee use of ChatGPT and other external artificial intelligence utilities amid the development of its own similar technology, The Wall Street Journal reports.

chatgpt for iphone feature
According to a document seen by The Wall Street Journal and individuals who claim to be familiar with the matter, Apple is concerned that AI tools could leak the company's confidential data. In addition to ChatGPT, Apple has barred staff from using GitHub's Copilot, a tool that helps write code with autocompletion.

Many businesses, such as banks, financial services, and healthcare institutions, have avoided adopting ChatGPT out of fear that their employees could inadvertently give the chatbot sensitive proprietary information. Samsung banned employee use of generative AI utilities like ChatGPT after discovering that staff had uploaded sensitive source code to the platform. The company was said to be concerned that data transmitted to artificial intelligence platforms including Bing and Google Bard could end up being disclosed to other users. JPMorgan Chase and Verizon have similarly banned use of these AI tools.

OpenAI has already sold Morgan Stanley a private ChatGPT service that allows employees to ask questions and analyze content in thousands of the bank's market research documents. Microsoft is working on a version of ChatGPT targeted at business customers to address privacy concerns.

The move comes in the context of Apple apparently working on its own large language models and AI technologies, led by senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy John Giannandrea. Giannandrea previously worked for Google and now reports directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ did not provide more information about what Apple's AI efforts encompass at this time.

OpenAI's ChatGPT has been accessible on the web and via several third-party iOS apps for some time, but yesterday the company released the first official ChatGPT app for the iPhone and iPad.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

dumastudetto Avatar
36 months ago
People seem to forget that Apple already has pioneering and industry-leading AI with its Siri technologies baked into every Apple device.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
a m u n Avatar
36 months ago
Stupid title — itʼs about privacy.

Imagine writing code using GitHub Copilot for iOS or xrOS and Microsoft and OpenAI having access to the code.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrJR Avatar
36 months ago

I’m not sure how Apple can enforce this rule. It’s a super useful program and unfortunately Pandora’s box has been opened.
It is absolutely enforceable. I shudder at the thought of how tight their development ecosystem must be.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
36 months ago
"Apple is concerned that AI tools could leak the company's confidential data..."

That’s a perfectly valid concern and probably a good idea.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrJR Avatar
36 months ago
GPT isn't good for much at higher levels of development work anyway. Apple is correct, whether or not it can control it, from a legal and security perspective. I applaud them.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markgpearse Avatar
36 months ago
Totally appropriate for a business to control business-owned hardware and software used on their hardware.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)