In a recent development, Microsoft has taken measures to bolster security within its corporate environment. The company has blocked employee access to the Perplexity AI chatbot, citing concerns over data security.
The chatbot known for its conversational search engine capabilities, leverages natural language predictive text. It relies on Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service, an integral platform for integrating generative AI into business operations and products.
Reportedly, employees attempting to access Perplexity’s website are met with notifications informing them of the restriction. While the exact commencement date of this restriction remains undisclosed, sources suggest it affects employees company-wide. Furthermore, Microsoft has extended this restriction to other AI tools, including Google’s Gemini chatbot, on its employee devices.
This isn’t the first instance of Microsoft imposing limitations on employees’ access to external AI tools. Previously, the company briefly blocked OpenAI’s ChatGPT, citing an error in judgment. The company emphasises the importance of prioritising services such as Bing Chat, which offer enhanced privacy and security features.
Recently, the company appointed Arun Kakatkar as its human resources leader, marking a significant addition to the company’s leadership team. Kakatkar, formerly the president and chief of strategy and organisation at Kalyani Group, succeeds Ira Gupta in this pivotal role. Gupta was CHRO for Microsoft India and South Asia.
At Microsoft India, Kakatkar is not only responsible to align people and strategy with business goals; but to build high-performing leadership teams with a shared vision. His core mission is to craft people-centered strategies that drive success.
