Top Tips for Using AI Safely in the Workplace

As AI becomes increasingly common in the workplace, businesses implemeting it to improve efficiency, productivity and decision-making.

However, without the right controls in place, AI can also introduce risks, such as data protection and cyber security concerns, inaccurate information, and over-reliance on the technology.

Keep reading for our top tips for using AI safely at work.

Implement an AI policy

Before you allow AI use within your organisation, the first thing to do is implement and circulate an AI use policy.

This should address compliance risks such as cyber security, data protection, intellectual property and ethics, as well as guidelines for acceptable use.

Align AI use with company strategy

Don’t allow users to automatically use AI for everything – instead, identify specific challenge in the organisation that AI can support with.

This way, you add value to the business rather than fostering an over-reliance on AI to perform every task.

Understand the limitations of AI

Following on from this, it is important to encourage your team not to rely on AI – surveys have found that nearly 64% of employees admit they have put less effort into their work because they know they can rely on AI, leading to 57% of them making mistakes in their work.

Any AI outputs should always be checked by a human, and employees should maintain responsibility for the outcomes of work that uses AI.

Prioritise data privacy

Many AI tools use input data to further train the model, meaning potentially sensitive data may be stored and shared with users outside or your organisation.

To combat this, make sure you communicate to your staff what is and isn’t appropriate to upload, and only use AI models that offer strong data protection.

Build AI literacy

AI literacy means understanding the risks, limitations, ethical considerations, and appropriate use.

This can be achieved by establishing clear usage guidelines, discussing AI capabilities and limitations, using policy to inform ethical practice, and building critical evaluation skills though talking openly about opportunities and risks.

Train your team

Provide accessible and easy to understand training for your team, so staff at all levels understand how to safely use AI within the business.

Keep on top of legislation

AI is rapidly evolving, as are the corresponding regulations and best practices.

Make sure you are keeping up to date with new legislation to ensure you are compliant in your AI use.

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