Learn about Coursebox Data Privacy

Over the last year, some of our clients have asked us if OpenAI retrains based on their documents and data uploaded via OpenAI's Davinci or ChatGPT interface at Coursebox. While OpenAI has stated that they do not use data submitted by customers via the API to train their models unless customers explicitly opt-in, we decided to move to Azure's OpenAI service in June 2024 to provide additional peace of mind about how your data will be used.

Navigating Data Privacy with AI: OpenAI vs Azure OpenAI Service

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, concerns around data privacy and ownership have become increasingly prevalent. Two major players in the AI space, OpenAI and Microsoft's Azure, offer different approaches to handling customer data, each with its own set of implications. In this article, we'll explore the key differences between using OpenAI's API and Azure's OpenAI Service, with a particular emphasis on data privacy and usage.

The OpenAI Approach

OpenAI, a renowned AI research company, offers an API that allows developers to access and integrate their language models into various applications. OpenAI has measures in place to protect user privacy and data, as outlined in their privacy policy. They have also clarified that they do not use data submitted by customers via the API to train or improve their models unless customers opt-in. This provides a degree of assurance for businesses concerned about data privacy.

The key points are:

• OpenAI does not use your API data to train its models by default.

• If you want to opt-in and allow OpenAI to use your data for model improvement, you can do so explicitly.

• There are data retention policies in place, with most endpoints having a 30-day default data retention period after which the data is deleted, unless you choose otherwise.

• For sensitive applications, zero data retention options are available where request/response data is not persisted at all.

So in summary, your documents and data uploaded through the Davinci API are kept private and not used for training OpenAI's models, maintaining your data privacy, unless you proactively choose to share the data.

The Azure OpenAI Service Approach

On the other hand, Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service takes a different approach, offering greater control and assurance over data usage and privacy. This service allows you to create and manage your own fine-tuned models based on OpenAI's base models. Crucially, this means that you can fine-tune the model using your company's proprietary data, and the resulting fine-tuned model will be specific to your organisation.

Advantages of Azure OpenAI Service:

1. Data Privacy and Ownership: Azure provides assurances that your data will not be used for any other purpose or shared with third parties, including OpenAI. This level of data privacy and ownership is a significant advantage for businesses and organisations that handle sensitive or copyrighted information.

2. Control over Data: By using Azure's OpenAI Service, you can ensure that your copyrighted content is used solely for serving your paid learners, customers, or internal stakeholders. The fine-tuned model created on Azure will be specific to your data and will not be shared or used to train OpenAI's publicly available models.

3. Customisation: The Azure service allows you to create and manage your own fine-tuned models, offering greater customisation tailored specifically to your organisational needs.

4. Data Retention: Azure's terms of service explicitly state that customer data will not be accessed or used for any other purpose, addressing any potential concerns about data ownership and privacy.

Why Azure May Be Better Than OpenAI API:

1. Increased Data Security: Azure’s data handling policies provide a higher level of security, ensuring that your data remains within your control and is not used to train external models.

2. Custom Models: The ability to fine-tune models with your own data allows for more accurate and relevant AI solutions tailored to your specific business requirements.

3. Peace of Mind: For many organisations, data ownership and privacy are paramount. Azure’s clear policies on data usage offer peace of mind that your sensitive information will not be exploited or shared without your consent.

For many organisations, data ownership and privacy are paramount. Our clients own the copyright to the content available on their instance of the Coursebox LMS, and they understandably want to ensure that this data is not used by OpenAI to train its models and potentially share their copyrighted knowledge with others who are not their paid customers.

By using Azure's OpenAI Service, we can address these concerns head-on. The fine-tuned model created on Azure will be specific to client data and will not be shared or used to train OpenAI's publicly available models. Azure's terms of service explicitly state that customer data will not be accessed or used for any other purpose, addressing any potential concerns about data ownership and privacy.

The Choice: Convenience vs. Control

Ultimately, the decision between using OpenAI's API or Azure's OpenAI Service boils down to a trade-off between convenience and control. OpenAI's API offers a more straightforward and potentially easier integration process, but Azure's OpenAI Service requires more upfront work in terms of fine-tuning the model with your data, but it provides greater control and assurance over data ownership and privacy. This approach may be more suitable for organisations that handle sensitive or copyrighted information and prioritise data privacy and ownership.

As AI continues to evolve and become more integrated into various industries, the issue of data privacy and ownership will only become more critical. By understanding the differences between OpenAI's API and Azure's OpenAI Service, organisations can make informed decisions that align with their data privacy and ownership priorities.

References

• LinkedIn (n.d.) OpenAI API Reference - Superyacht CRM. Available at: LinkedIn

• Microsoft (2023) What is Azure OpenAI Service? Available at: Microsoft

• OpenAI (2023a) Privacy Policy. Available at: OpenAI

• OpenAI (2023b) How your data is used to improve model performance. Available at: OpenAI

• OpenAI (2023c) Data usage for consumer services FAQ. Available at: OpenAI Help

Take a look at the following articles in this section for more details:

• Manage Hosting with Security
• Sync Arlo
• Use SAML SSO Integration (Single Sin-On)

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