Harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence in a company: adopting an AI policy.
In today’s digital age, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have become essential tools within a company’s operations. Representing an opportunity for process optimization, AI has made a disruptive entrance into the corporate dimension, increasingly utilized by employees in their daily tasks. The widespread use of AI technologies in the workplace – consider, for example, ChatGPT – makes it imperative for companies to formulate clear policies to ensure responsible usage by employees.
Responsible use of AI in the corporate reality
Technologies like ChatGPT are now systematically employed in any work environment. Prohibiting access would prove not only futile – as such a ban would be systematically disregarded – but also detrimental. The risk is that without establishing conditions for the development of a “culture” of responsible use of such technologies, the company may encounter undesirable, even severe situations, such as the dissemination of confidential information by an employee. Clearly delineating guidelines for the appropriate use of AI tools ensures that employees understand the limits and implications of their actions when interacting with these systems.
Protection of personal data and confidential information
One of the main risks associated with AI use is the danger of violating regulations concerning personal data protection, such as the European Regulation n.679/2016 (“GDPR”). As known, the operation of AI technologies – for example, ChatGPT – is based on extremely extensive datasets, which include data provided by the user during their use. This implies that, for instance, by using an AI system carelessly, an employee could unknowingly provide personal data regarding clients, suppliers, or other employees, thus potentially violating privacy regulations.
A similar discourse applies regarding information that does not constitute personal data, thus not protected by the GDPR, but which the company nevertheless has an interest in keeping confidential, such as business-related information.
Reliability and quality of outputs
A critical point regarding the use of AI systems concerns the quality and reliability of the provided output.
It must not be forgotten that datasets for training and the operation of AI systems are continually expanded, drawing from various sources. This implies that such datasets may include inaccurate, untrue, or biased information, for example, due to discriminatory viewpoints. It is therefore evident that it is necessary to use such tools while being well aware of their limitations, in order to use them effectively.
Clear indications regarding their usage, for example regarding the manner of formulating requests, and maintaining a critical spirit regarding the provided output, will allow employees to maximize the results produced by these technologies.
Adoption of a corporate AI policy
In light of the above, it has now become indispensable for companies to include, within their set of corporate policies, a policy concerning the use of Artificial Intelligence.
The content of the policy will naturally depend on the context to which it applies. For example, the company may choose whether to specify which AI tools employees should use in carrying out their tasks or to grant them complete freedom of choice in this regard, limiting themselves to dictating the rules to follow for their use.
Furthermore, the policy may contain limitations regarding attempts to create, upload, or share abusive, illegal, confidential, or rights-violating content, or indications regarding the use of personal judgment to review and validate the generated results.
In general, therefore, it will be up to the company to define the approach and rules for the use of AI technologies that allow for the proper exploitation of their potential, also based on the peculiarities of their own business and organization.
Nevertheless, there are some key points in the development of the so-called corporate AI policy, among which, as discussed, are measures for the protection of personal data and confidential information, and guidelines for controlling the output. Similarly, it is advisable to clearly define the consequences resulting from improper use of the technologies under examination.
The importance of personnel training
Another cornerstone of the introduction of AI into work processes is undoubtedly represented by personnel training. Since such technologies evolve rapidly, it is essential for employees to remain informed about the latest developments and best practices for usage. Therefore, the company should invest in the regular training of its employees in ethical AI usage, security protocols, and current regulations. Only by providing employees with these skills can the corporate AI policy be effectively and efficiently implemented.
Conclusions
Implementing a policy regarding the use of AI by employees is indispensable for organizations seeking to fully exploit the potential of these technologies, while safeguarding themselves from associated risks. Through this tool, companies have the opportunity to leverage the competitive advantage provided by a tool like AI and promote its responsible and sustainable use, focusing on data protection and the quality of the outputs provided.
