Microsoft has taken another step forward in using AI to help us handle classified data. The company has created a special GPT-4 model accessible only on an isolated and air-gapped Azure Government Top Secret cloud for the Department of Defense.
This is in response to intelligence agencies’ requests to use AI to process classified data more safely.
According to Bloomberg, here’s what we know so far.
Microsoft’s new model is on a private cloud only accessible to the US government
Pentagon officials want to leverage productive AI capabilities, such as large language models, but they are also seeking solutions that ensure classified information is not disclosed. They want capabilities that can be tailored to fit DOD’s unique needs.
“For the first time, we have an isolated version, and it’s on a private network accessible only to the US government,” said Chappell, Microsoft’s chief technology officer for strategic missions and technology.
With the GPT-4 capability deployed in Azure Government Top Secret through Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft enables users to customize the model to their needs. “They can tweak it, they can add their own data, they can do all sorts of things… They’ll build unique workflows on top of that that are specific to their tasks.”
There are so many ways that GPT-4 can help DoD officials! “Whether it’s proposals, or different types of paperwork that we all have to do – how do you simplify it and how do you sort it… is it mission-driven data or is it more back-office and human resources-driven data?” Chappell said, pointing to the technology’s wide range of uses.
The new service was activated on Thursday and is currently available to thousands of user intelligence workers. Given that the AI’s output isn’t always 100% accurate, intelligence agencies are really trying to tread a fine line in using this new service.
Featured image credit: Freepik
