While the question of how organizations can safely and responsibly use Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t new, the introduction of AI has sparked controversy over the last couple of years since its emergence into the mainstream of technology. How can we use AI in a safe and respectable manner to boost performance within the organization? Can we trust AI to make consequential decisions for us? Will AI take the very job that you have? These are questions that individuals and companies are asking.
The AI landscape is changing rapidly, and organizations will need to navigate the operational and ethical issues of using AI on the fly in many cases. Many organizations want to put their heads in the sand, hoping it will go away and be a fad that passes. However, it’s inevitable that your organization will have to navigate the operational and ethical considerations of artificial intelligence, large language models, and machine learning. The ethical concerns are more pressing than the operational challenges and disruptions many leaders focus on today. There is a new burden that is falling on organizations now to ensure that AI tools are used in a safe and ethical manner.
In the last thirty days, I have been asked to provide acceptable use policies for AI by several companies that are concerned their internal employees may accidentally expose PII or proprietary information to an AI. It is important that we recognize that all output from any AI/LLM/ML tool must be assumed suspect. ChatGPT tells us, “my responses are generated based on patterns and associations learned from a large dataset of text, and I do not have the ability to verify the accuracy or credibility of every source referenced in the dataset.” With that in mind, all output that a user receives from any AI/LLM/ML tool should be fact-checked. That’s the unsettling part of AI, but the positive is that it can provide insights, analysis, predictions, and suggestions at a high rate of speed. It’s important to recognize that the optimal way to work with AI differs from how we’ve worked with other new technologies. In the past, most new tools enabled us to perform tasks more efficiently. AI is different. It has a substantial influence on the work and processes we do because it is able to find patterns that we can’t see and then use them to provide us with instant information.
When we drive on a highway, we have guardrails to keep us from veering off into a dangerous path. How can you do the same for your organization so that AI is used responsibly?
- Get reliable results – AI tools can process an immense amount of big data and make predictive analytics out of it, but the results need to be verified by first checking the validity of the responses.
- Transparency – The organization’s stakeholders and employees must know and understand the purpose, risks, and expected outcomes of using AI in their operations.
- Protection – Organizations that use AI must place a high value on employee and customer data security. Protection actions should align with ethics, data protection laws, and regulations.
- Accountability – AI technology involves supply chains, data providers, technology providers, and system vendors. Everyone has a part in how AI is used in the organization, so everyone is accountable for adhering to ethical principles when using AI. The more autonomy you give the AI tool or system, the higher the level of organizational accountability there is because the consequences for public safety or health can be severe.
Every business should aim for responsible AI implementation within their organization. Like many existing technologies, AI should not be idealized and must be subject to ethical guidance; avoiding becoming overly enamored with technologies that may surpass the organization’s ability to control them is crucial. Remember, AI alone will not transform your business; the transformative power lies within your hands.
Looking for a team of experts to support your vision of using AI? Contact a member of our IT team to bring our expertise and best practices to your organization.
