The way we interact with technology is changing at a very fast pace as a result of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Generative AI, which offers some unique ways to be productive and the ability to quickly create large amounts of new content, is a frontrunner. Nevertheless, with the increasing pervasiveness of AI, along comes concerns about data privacy as well as ethics. There is therefore a definite need for thoughtful navigation through these challenges and for AI to strengthen human abilities, without removing oversight and while maintaining the right ethical standards.
Generative AI - A Double-Edged Sword
Large language models (LLMs) driven generative AI can assimilate an enormous amount of information to come up with new concepts. However, there are inherent risks associated with such capabilities if not properly managed. Let’s dive a bit into the various avenues where risks thrive.
- Data Privacy Breaches: Generative AI survives on humongous amounts of data and this data-hungry nature of Generative AI models presents a concerning vulnerability. If these models are not properly secured and their training data is not thoroughly vetted and anonymized, there is a real risk of sensitive information being inadvertently exposed or even deliberately extracted by bad actors.
- Violation of Intellectual Property: Artificially generated content can unintentionally violate intellectual property (IP) rights and lead to possible legal complications. Although some companies indemnify themselves against any content developed by their models, the wider legal environment around AI and IP rights is still developing and is fraught with vulnerabilities.
- Personal Data Management: AI tools that handle personal information should be extra vigilant to avoid privacy violations. With more information about customers being pumped into LLMs, the danger of data leakage increases.
- Contractual Violations: The use of customer data in an AI system may breach existing contracts, which could have severe legal ramifications.
- Customer Deception: Transparency is vital as customers engage with AI-powered platforms. It is important to state clearly whenever an AI is involved and ensure that all content generated by AI systems provides accurate information so as not to mislead users.
Traversing the changing regulatory environment
Although the AI legal landscape is advancing, it’s not as fast as new AI features are being introduced, creating a concerning imbalance. However, companies can stay ahead by implementing strong risk mitigation strategies that are based on the preemption of existing regulations and possible future case laws. This proactive approach also helps to mitigate potential problems while enabling businesses to take advantage of AI.
Responsible handling of data has been emphasized in recent litigations against leading artificial intelligence corporations. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged the app owner of Ever with misleading consumers about its use of facial recognition technology, resulting in severe penalties and the eventual shutdown of the company. This case reflects the need for openness and correct data management within AI applications.
- European Union
It is the European Union that is now the trailblazer with the adoption of the Artificial Intelligence Act, a bill that is just on its way to becoming law. The new legislation would be the first attempt of AI regulation to include a wide array of use cases such as artificial intelligence-generated videos that are often used to spread propaganda and chatbots like ChatGPT. The EU has imposed a graded risk-based approach which encompasses the categorization of AI applications as per their respective risk to the public. Those that have the highest risk must make an examination of the risk, while generative AI companies need to inform the users of the copyrighted materials they have trained their network with. It is anticipated that the law will be presented for the first time in its final form by the end of the year 2024.
- United States
The United States is at an incipient stage with reference to the AI regulatory regime. In October 2022, The White House presented the AI Bill of Rights which are a set of principles through which AI use and design can be followed for the protection of civil liberties. The other day, Senator Chuck Schumer proposed a regulation on AI, whose key point was the necessity of a thorough understanding before their implementation. However, the absence of a dedicated technology committee in Congress has caused some setbacks in getting an appropriate regulation in place.
- China
In Aug 2023, China announced a new law specifically targeting Generative AI both at a training as well as an output level. These laws require all generative AI-based content to adhere to socialist core values and avoid creating false or harmful information. They were developed by a group of seven Chinese regulators. This approach aligns with viewing artificial intelligence as a supportive technology with significant room for creativity, while still maintaining strict control over the content.
Best Practices for Safe and Ethical AI Use
The pressure on companies to adopt generative AI tools is increasing, so they have to establish best practices for safe and ethical AI implementation in order to survive the regulatory frameworks. Here are some of the best practices chosen for businesses who wish to make the best of Generative AI.
- PII declaration: All sorts of Personal Identifiable Information must be highlighted and kept in mask so that any bad actors are kept from using Generative AI to have a field day.
- Transparency and Documentation: Clearly state the use of AI in data processing and document the logic behind its use, intended purpose, and any possible impact it may have on those being served.
- Localizing AI Models: Train your AI models internally using proprietary data in order to reduce security risks and boost productivity with relevant information.
- Start Small and Experiment: Start internally with your AI before moving to live business data under secure conditions.
- Discovering and Connecting: Use artificial intelligence (AI) methods to find new relationships between departments or across information silos that in future could compromise data security.
- Preserving the Human Element: Make sure that there is human supervision over any content outputted by AI so as to reduce risks coming from model biases or inaccuracies.
- Maintaining Transparency and Logs: If necessary, maintain detailed transaction logs for all data exchanges as evidence for good governance and data security.
Merging Creativity with Accountability
AI potential is tremendous in transfiguring business operations, with tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s Llama that create new vistas for data utilization. However, adopting these technologies means striking a careful balance between creativity and accountability.
Through rigorous data governance, open communiqué, and elaborate documentation, businesses can navigate regulations to capitalize on Generative AI. This approach assists in managing risks while also turning AI into a tool that boosts human abilities for responsible business achievement. Discover how Dview helps in data security keeping the right guard rails at all times for your data.
