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December 6, 2024

How to Cautiously Use AI for Work

Want to learn how to cautiously use AI for work, improve efficiency, and avoid risk? Check out the most practical tips that will ensure better safety and performance.
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How to Cautiously Use AI for Work

AI tools are becoming indispensable in the workplace, helping professionals streamline routine tasks, generate ideas, and boost productivity. Yet, using AI without careful consideration can lead to unintended consequences, like privacy breaches and errors.

In this post, we’ll explore how to cautiously use AI for work to avoid these risks.

Understanding the Risks of Using AI for Work

Artificial intelligence provides plenty of benefits, but can also be risky if used incorrectly.

Here are the risks you should be aware of.

Stats on AI use in organizations

1. Data Security and Privacy Concerns

AI systems often require access to large amounts of data to function effectively. However, inputting data is not always the best idea, especially if you’re using unauthorized systems.

Inputting sensitive information, like customer data, financial details, or proprietary strategies, into AI-powered tools can expose it to many risks.

For example, public generative AI tools may store inputs to improve their algorithms, creating potential leaks of sensitive business details.

Solution:

  • Limit data-sharing to pre-approved tools with strict privacy agreements.
  • Ensure employees understand data-sharing risks, or familiarize yourself with them.
  • Apply critical thinking when using AI—would you be OK sharing this data with hundreds of people outside your company? If not, don’t input it into publicly available AI.

2. Over-Reliance on AI

AI tools can generate impressive results, but they aren’t error-free.

Relying on them without human oversight can lead to errors. For example, using artificial intelligence to draft a legal document without verification could introduce inaccuracies or omissions. This can easily expose the organization to legal risks.

Solution:

  • Treat AI outputs as drafts or suggestions rather than final decisions.
  • Always apply human judgment.
  • Consult other, more authoritative sources when needed.

3. Bias and Ethical Issues

AI systems are trained on historical data, which can carry biases.

If unchecked, these biases may perpetuate or even amplify discrimination in various business processes, such as hiring, customer interactions, or general decision-making.

For example, an AI tool screening resumes might favor candidates from certain demographics due to biased training data.

Solution:

  • Regularly audit AI tools for bias.
  • Carefully choose AI tools for your tasks to minimize ethical risks.

4. Compliance and Legal Risks

Certain industries, such as banking and insurance, are heavily regulated.

Misusing AI, whether through inappropriate applications or unintentional violations of laws, can result in fines, lawsuits, or loss of licenses.

For example, AI-generated content might unintentionally violate data protection laws like CCPA or GDPR if it mishandles customer information.

Solution:

  • Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to vet the AI tools you plan on using.
  • If you’re developing company-specific AI systems, choose vendors with best compliance and safety practices.

5. Reputation Risks

Errors or misuse of AI can tarnish the credibility of both employees and the company.

For example, relying solely on an AI-powered social media tool to generate posts without human supervision can lead to inappropriate or misleading language. This can cause backlash from customers and negative press for the company.

Solution:

  • Validate AI-generated outputs before sharing them externally.
  • Be transparent when mistakes occur.

How to Cautiously Use AI for Work

Workers often turn to AI tools for brainstorming, automating repetitive tasks, or streamlining daily workloads. In many cases, this happens with company approval and other times without explicit oversight and awareness.

How workers use AI for work

If your company hasn’t established formal policies for AI usage, you can still approach these tools responsibly by following the guidelines below. They provide a framework to ensure you’re leveraging AI efficiently while minimizing risks.

1. Don’t Share Personal or Confidential Information

AI systems—especially publicly available ones—might retain or process your input for purposes beyond your control.

So, sharing sensitive information like customer details, business strategies, or financial data can lead to data breaches and compliance violations.

That’s why we recommend you treat AI tools like you’d treat external vendors. Only provide the minimum information needed to get results.

Tip: Instead of asking an AI tool to analyze an actual client’s financials, create a mock dataset with anonymized details.

2. Understand the Risks of Free Public AI Tools

Free or inexpensive AI tools can be tempting for their convenience and cost savings. However, their accessibility often comes with trade-offs, like potential data retention or usage for algorithm training.

For example, inputting customer feedback to generate marketing copy might unintentionally expose sensitive information to third parties.

Tip: We highly recommend researching the terms of service and privacy policies of an AI tool before use. Prioritize tools that explicitly guarantee data confidentiality.

3. Validate AI Outputs

AI tools can help save you time, overcome creative blocks, and handle repetitive tasks like document processing, but they’re not perfect.

AI technologies can misinterpret prompts, produce inaccurate data, or generate content that doesn’t fit the company’s style and tone. That’s why it’s important to validate AI outputs before using them, especially in decision-making or client-facing contexts.

Tip: Treat AI-generated work as a suggestion and not a final deliverable. If an AI drafts an email, check it for tone, grammar, and factual accuracy before sending it to a client.

4. Keep Records of AI Use

Maintaining records of how and when you use AI tools can protect you in case of errors or disputes.

This can also help identify patterns or areas where AI might not perform as expected, so you know what to look out for.

Tip: Document key decisions or outputs generated by AI, including any edits you made.

For example, if an AI tool assists you with project budgeting, note which calculations it handled and what adjustments were necessary.

5. Stay Updated on AI Developments

As AI tools evolve rapidly, so do the risks associated with them.

Staying informed about updates on the AI tools you use, emerging best practices, and potential vulnerabilities can help you use these tools more effectively and responsibly.

Learning about new prompting ways or features in your preferred AI tool might help you streamline a task further while avoiding misuse.

Tip: Subscribe to newsletters (like ours) or attend webinars that focus on AI trends and workplace applications to stay up to date with AI and the tools you use.

How to Use AI for Work in an AI-Friendly Company

If your company has already introduced AI tools, it typically means that they’ve already vetted the systems or compliance, security, and alignment with business goals.

However, even pre-approved AI requires thoughtful use to ensure it delivers value while minimizing risks.

The below guidelines will help you make the most from AI in a structured environment without putting your company at risk.

Stats from a survey on AI use in the workplace

1. Use AI as Intended

AI technologies are typically deployed with specific use cases in mind. Using them outside intended purposes can lead to errors, inefficiencies, or even security risks.

For example, if the AI is designed to automate invoice processing, avoid using it to analyze unrelated datasets without consulting the IT team.

Tip: We recommend familiarizing yourself with the approved applications of the AI system and sticking to those functions for best results with minimized risks.

2. Provide Feedback for Improvement

Pre-approved AI systems are often tailored to your organization’s needs, and feedback from users is essential for ongoing optimization.

Reporting bugs, inefficiencies, or new feature ideas helps improve the system for everyone.

For example, if an AI-powered chatbot frequently misinterprets customer queries, notify the team so they can refine its algorithms or fine-tune the model.

Tip: Document any challenges or errors you encounter and share them with the designated support team.

3. Report Issues Immediately

If you notice anomalies, such as inaccurate outputs, security concerns, or unexpected behavior, it’s crucial you escalate the issues.

Early reporting can prevent minor problems from escalating into major disruptions.

For example, if an AI tool begins suggesting incorrect financial calculations, report it before others unknowingly rely on the flawed outputs.

Tip: Know who to contact in your organization for AI-related issues, whether it’s IT, compliance, or your manager.

4. Know When to Escalate to a Human

AI excels at automating repetitive tasks and data analysis. However, it has limitations in handling complex situations, ethical dilemmas, or complex decision-making.

Recognizing when to involve a human expert ensures the best outcomes.

For example, if a customer’s issue requires empathy or better understanding, take over from the AI chatbot and handle the conversation directly.

Tip: Use AI as a supplement to human judgment, not a replacement.

5. Stay Engaged and Educated

Your organization may offer training sessions, resources, or updates on the AI systems in use.

Staying informed helps you leverage the tools effectively and ensures you’re aware of any changes or enhancements.

So if your company rolls out a new feature in its AI-powered CRM, attend the demo sessions to understand how it can benefit your workflow.

Tip: Take advantage of workshops, online training, or internal documentation about the AI tools.

6. Respect Data Handling Protocols

Even with pre-approved AI, the way you input and retrieve data matters. Ensure that sensitive or regulated information is handled according to company protocols and industry regulations.

For example, you can use the company’s secure AI tools for customer records, but avoid uploading such data into any personal tools for convenience.

Tip: Avoid using AI to process highly sensitive information, unless explicitly approved by your organization.

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