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Managing GPT-4 on the Network

Watch Your Step

Article from ADMIN 82/2024

By Thomas Joos

Now that Microsoft has integrated its GPT-4-based AI chat functions directly into the operating system with Windows Copilot, which now includes Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise, you might want to know how to control or even block its use on the network.

Copilot is integrated as part of Windows 11 22H2 Moment 4 or Windows 11 23H2. As with all new functions, Microsoft does not enable new services on all computers at once, but in several steps. Because of legal regulations in Europe, it might take some time before Copilot is available everywhere in Windows 11.

That said, not all companies will want to use the artificial intelligence (AI) function in Windows 11. Wherever the feature is desired, effective management – including data protection – should always be in place. Windows Copilot is currently still at a very early stage. Microsoft can be expected to make significant improvements, also in terms of configuration options for administrators. At present, though, the control functions are fairly few and far between; I look at some control approaches in more detail in this article.

In principle, Microsoft automatically enables all functions in the AI services as soon as they are available and all users can access them. If you want to restrict usage, you need to make some changes by Group Policy, registry values, the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, the Bing Chat Enterprise Admin Center, Microsoft Intune, or other services. It generally makes sense to have a set of rules for the use of AI services, but this is not a task for the IT department.

Windows Copilot is accompanied by the integration of AI chat functionality in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome in the form of the new Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise for businesses. As with ChatGPT, users can communicate with the GPT-4 large language model (LLM). In the case of Bing Chat, the AI accesses the Internet directly. You have various ways in which to make use of the AI features on Windows 10 and Windows 11: Windows Copilot, Bing Chat, Bing Chat Enterprise, and the option to communicate directly with ChatGPT, as well as with Microsoft 365 Copilot.