The benefits and risks of using AI in the Workplace.
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming more and more accessible and prevalent in modern day technology, and being adapted into work environments, it is being utilized more than ever in a plethora of different ways to make everyday tasks easier and faster. Companies are seeing how AI is evolving and are now embracing this new technology and its benefits by using different AI tools for a variety of everyday tasks. AI has the capability to simplify workloads and automate tasks, which can, in turn, save time and money for a company. However, as this is a new and constantly evolving technology, not many people are aware of the information security implications that can come with the multifaceted capabilities of using AI in a corporate setting. With the wide variety of use cases for AI, security risks do come along with this new futuristic tool we have all become accustomed to using. So, how does AI affect information security in the workplace?
AI is most often thought of being used for personal reasons, such as summarizing text and creating schedules, but what many people may not be aware of is that it is also being used by the majority of companies in the workplace with more than 77% already using or exploring the use of AI in their work environment [1]. AI has so many capabilities, but some of the most utilized ways AI is being seen in the workplace is in automation, content creation, data collection, and customer support. Automation is the biggest thing AI has brought to the workplace as it truly does encompass and intertwine with all other major use cases being observed in the workplace.
There are so many tasks that humans perform every day that can be streamlined with automation, and AI makes it possible for even the most non-technical user. With this capability, companies are using AI automation to automate repetitive and mundane tasks, analyze large volumes of data quickly and extract insights and patterns, create personalized experiences for customers, enhance customer service, and even facilitate seamless collaboration between teams [2]. With all these different abilities AI automation can do, companies are able to get more done during the day with less effort being put in.
As we all know, not everyone is blessed with the skill of being creative and coming up with ideas on their own which makes using AI for content creation a big use case within companies trying to market to their audience in a creative and digestible way. It can be used to generate images, create content outlines, write, edit, or review drafts, and summarize research [3]. This in turn minimizes the amount of time and thought that needs to go into the content being created for the company and creates the opportunity for more to be made in a day. Data collection also goes hand in hand with automation and content creation. With AI being able to analyze and process large quantities of data, companies can extract and gain insights to this data in a more meaningful way. This in turn enables companies to know their target audience better and market in a more effective way. Finally, support is one of the most common automated AI tools seen on websites for users. This type of tool helps in saving time and resources on humans responding to questions from users. Chatbots are extremely popular and are helpful when it comes to responding to common questions users may have.
Now with this knowledge of how AI is being utilized and all the benefits it can add to the workplace, let’s delve into how these use cases can cause information security issues. Cybersecurity is not a new concept, it has been around since the 1970’s [4]; however, it is often overlooked as something that can be incorporated later down the line, especially when it comes to new technology. As AI is a somewhat new technology, and it is constantly evolving, cybersecurity is more important to be aware of than ever. One of the biggest risks that comes with using AI in the workplace is privacy. AI technologies are often used to collect substantial quantities of data, whether it be personal, corporate, or even client data; this raises huge security issues for a workplace if the employee is not careful about what they are putting out there.
As part of the learning and training experience for AI technologies such as ChatGPT, the provider saves all of the prompts, questions, and queries users enter into it regardless of the topic or subject [5]. With this information stored, the service may sell your data to third-parties, even if the terms of service say they won’t, as they may update and change their terms of service, especially if the provider changes ownership. Even if they never use or share the data per their terms of service, these providers are huge targets for attackers, so any data they retain is still at risk of getting into the wrong hands if they were to be hacked.
Another risk to be aware of is inaccuracies and bias. As AI is still new and although it may seem to be accurate a lot of the time, it was built by humans and can still make errors. An example of this can be seen when using facial recognition technologies, which are now widely adopted by law enforcement to help identify individuals in public spaces or crowds [6]. It does not always identify the right person, it can be helpful, but if trained improperly can and has shown discrimination against certain groups and has been banned for use in law enforcement in some states because of that [7].
Lack of transparency and explainability is another factor to consider when it comes to utilizing AI in the workplace, especially if the use case is regarding cybersecurity. Due to AI systems not being well understood, it is hard to understand how they are making their predictions and their reasoning for decisions when identifying or responding to cyber threats which can in turn cause serious consequences for the threat if was handled improperly [8].
As mentioned above, AI can and will make mistakes. Having an overreliance on AI and a lack of human oversight in the workplace can be a huge issue for companies as the AI generated decision cannot be the final say. Not checking the work of the AI and just letting it do its thing, without proper monitoring, can lead to data loss, incorrect decision making, and vulnerability to attacks. Since these tools learn from what it is told to do, an attacker can hack the system and tell it to do something it shouldn’t which could lead the system to make incorrect decisions that weren’t intended and in turn lead to a security breach [8].
Now, I bet you’re wondering, “how do I make sure my company is doing the best it can to keep its data protected and safe when using AI technology?” To mitigate any security risks, companies should take these steps into consideration when using any AI tool in the future:
An Information security plan needs to be in place.
AI should never be the end all, be all decision maker for anything.
Meet with the IT team of the company and solidify the plan to ensure it covers AI and the security risks that come with it if your company chooses to use this kind of tool.
After this plan is in place, the company should have a meeting where they educate employees on how to use these tools to ensure they are aware of the security implications that can come with using them for work.
Make sure they understand that all information will be stored in a database and may not be secure, as once it is out of your hands you don’t know what can or will happen to it.
Best practice for securing Intellectual Property and confidential information would be to use an AI Chatbot/Engine that is used only by your company and is not open to public use. The information then can be segmented so that only your company has access to the data inputted into the AI.
Another thing companies can do to stay safe when using AI in the workplace is to implement data governance. Data governance is a structured approach to managing data throughout its lifecycle, from acquisition to disposal. This process involves creating policies, setting processes, roles and standards to ensure data is secure [9]. Companies should also incorporate threat modeling. Threat modeling is the process of identifying potential threats and defining countermeasures to prevent or mitigate the effects of threats to a system. With the help of AI, attackers have been able create more advanced and targeted phishing attacks than in the past [10]. This is due to these tools providing the attackers with the means to generate such customized convincing content that tricks the victim into believing it is legit. Make sure to update your threat model to capture the threats AI can have on a system and update accordingly as it advances [11]. Having this in place can help companies be aware of any threats prior to them becoming an issue and help to counteract the threat. Another thing we can do to protect our data and information is to put access controls in place. Make sure all data being accessed is secure and is only able to be accessed by those to whom should be able to access the information. Setting roles with specific access for the company and employees is something to consider so information does not end up in the wrong hands. Finally, make sure to follow vulnerability management procedures. Companies can keep their data and information safe by making sure procedures are in place in case anything happens.
Remember, AI is nothing to be afraid of! In fact, companies should embrace all the benefits that come with utilizing AI technology tools. One of Scalesology’s core values is to focus on the leading edge, and we want others to do the same, so it is important to stay educated and up to date on all of the risks associated with using these kinds of tools as they are constantly evolving and do pose security risks if not used properly and in a safe manner. Having security plans in place is important and should not be overlooked when using tools like AI in the workplace. Keeping your data and information secure should always be your top priority.
Ready to use AI securely? Contact Scalesology today, and let’s work together to find the right compromise between efficiency, security and scalability.
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