New “history off” mode is available now, and more robust ChatGPT Business subscription model is coming in the next few months. OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed firm behind the groundbreaking ChatGPT generative AI system, announced this week that it would allow users to turn off the chat history feature for its flagship chatbot, in what’s being seen as a partial answer to critics concerned about the security of data provided to ChatGPT. The “history disabled” feature means that conversations marked as such won’t be used to train OpenAI’s underlying models, and won’t be displayed in the history sidebar. They will still be stored on the company’s servers, but will only be reviewed on an as-needed basis for abuse, and will be deleted after 30 days. “We hope this provides an easier way to manage your data than our existing opt-out process,” the company said in an official blog post. OpenAI also said that the company is working on a new ChatGPT business subscription model, aimed at organizational users who may need more direct control over their data. ChatGPT Business will adhere to the company’s API data usage policies, meaning that user data will not, by default, be used for model training. OpenAI said that it hopes to debut this subscription model “in the coming months.” Regulators set sights on OpenAI The news comes in the wake of a move by the European Data Protection Board, earlier this month, to investigate ChatGPT, after complaints from privacy watchdogs that the chatbot did not comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. Italy, in March, temporarily banned the use of ChatGPT due to alleged violations of user privacy. That country’s guarantor for data protection demanded that the service demonstrate compliance with applicable privacy laws, and provide improved transparency into how the system handles user data. It’s clear that privacy and data governance were not top-of-mind at the outset for OpenAI, according to Gartner vice president and analyst Nader Henein — who noted that that’s nothing new for a startup focused on getting a workable product out into the market. “They are continuing to build the airplane mid-flight,” he said. “I imagine most of the development underway at Microsoft on Copilot is focused on wrapping that governance and enterprise support around the OpenAI [large language model.]” It’s a step in the right direction, Henein added, but reflects that the design decisions underlying much of ChatGPT may have treated privacy as an afterthought, not as a core component. “There is no doubt in my mind that the team at OpenAI are working feverishly to retrofit governance to their architecture,” he said. “It’s a matter of how much can be done after the fact. The analogy that we have seen used time and time again is that of baking a cake and trying to add sugar or baking powder after you’ve taken it out of the oven.” Related content how-to How to fix iCloud sync in seconds Here's what to do when your contacts or calendar events don't sync between devices. By Jonny Evans Apr 23, 2024 7 mins iCloud Apple Cloud Storage news Gen Z workers pick genAI over managers for career advice Nearly half of Gen Z employees surveyed by an outplacement services firm indicated they'd trust a chatbot like ChatGPT for advice over their manager, who many said don't support their career development. By Lucas Mearian Apr 23, 2024 5 mins Technology Industry Artificial Intelligence Careers news Adobe’s new Firefly Image 3 adds genAI features to Photoshop The latest iteration of the Firefly AI generative AI model brings improved image quality, more control over outputs, and deeper integration into the Photoshop image editing app. By Matthew Finnegan Apr 23, 2024 6 mins Adobe Systems Generative AI Productivity Software news Enterprises want AI PCs, just not yet A new study suggests AI PCs continue to face challenges in enterprise adoption even as companies show a strong interest. By Sandeep Budki Apr 23, 2024 5 mins Windows PCs Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe