OpenAI Takes Action: Temporarily Suspends ByteDance's Account Over LLM Usage

OpenAI has decided to temporarily suspend ByteDance's account following revelations that the parent company of TikTok was leveraging OpenAI's technology to build its own Large Language Model (LLM). The suspension will persist while OpenAI conducts a thorough investigation into ByteDance's use of the ChatGPT-maker's technology.

The Verge, a prominent US-based technology website, uncovered this information by citing internal documents from ByteDance. According to an OpenAI spokesperson, ByteDance's use of the API (application programming interface) must align with OpenAI's usage policies to ensure responsible and ethical utilization of the technology.

While ByteDance's usage of the API was characterized as minimal, the suspension serves as a precautionary measure during the investigative process. Niko Felix, the OpenAI spokesperson, stated, "If we discover that their usage doesn't follow these policies, we will ask them to make necessary changes or shall terminate their account."

The Verge's Report Unveils Project Seed Details

The Verge's report sheds light on ByteDance's deployment of OpenAI's API in 'Project Seed,' the foundational Large Language Model of the China-based tech giant. Remarkably, the API played a pivotal role in various phases of the project, including model training and evaluation.

The report also indicates that ByteDance employees involved in Project Seed were well aware of the implications, even discussing methods to 'whitewash' evidence of their activities.

Violation of OpenAI's Terms of Service

OpenAI's decision to suspend ByteDance's account stems from a violation of its terms of service. The terms explicitly state that the model output "can’t be used to develop any artificial intelligence models that compete with our products and services." This policy aligns with Microsoft's, OpenAI's largest investor and the channel through which ByteDance obtained access to OpenAI.

The use of someone else's technology to build a competing model is generally frowned upon in the AI community, considering it a notable ethical concern. OpenAI's swift action reflects its commitment to upholding ethical standards in the development and utilization of advanced AI technologies.