The Dos and Don’ts of AI in the Workplace

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools are slowly being introduced and integrated into the workplace, many uncertainties arise. AI is transforming organizations, offering efficiency, innovation, and productivity opportunities. However, it’s crucial to understand how to maximize its benefits while minimizing potential risks for both employees and for the organization. Knowing the dos and don’ts of using AI in the workplace can help you and your company stay safe while reaping the benefits.

Do:

1. Get familiar with your organization’s AI policy

   An AI policy is crucial for all businesses. A well-crafted policy ensures that the technology is used ethically and effectively across an organization, helps companies stay compliant, provides transparency and mitigates risk. Employees should regularly review their organization’s policy on AI to understand expectations and ultimately reduce the risk of misuse. Being familiar with the rules on how AI can be used in the workplace ensures that employees and employers are on the same page, and empowers employees to work confidently and responsibly alongside current and emerging AI technology.
   

2. Use AI as a starting point

   One of the great advantages of AI is its ability to simplify everyday tasks. For example, if you’re stuck on how to start a project, AI can provide a general foundation in a matter of minutes. While AI should never do work for you, it can help you overcome mental roadblocks and can help save time on a variety of things from creating report templates to double checking grammar.

3. Assess all content

   Using AI for work-related tasks doesn’t excuse you from doing the work. It’s your responsibility to review everything you decide to use from AI-generated content. For instance, AI will not always give you correct or unbiased information. If you don’t review and research what AI wrote for you, you may find yourself in a predicament like the lawyer who was busted for citing six cases ChatGPT made up. To double-check his work, he asked ChatGPT if it was lying, to which it replied no.
   

Don’t

1. Don’t provide sensitive information

   Avoid using AI in ways that compromise employee or customer privacy. Sharing personal or confidential information with AI can lead to potential privacy breaches. Doing so may inadvertently lead to the information falling into the hands of other users or hackers. Ensure compliance with data protection regulations and safeguard personal information. If you don’t follow this rule, you are putting yourself, others, and your company at risk.

2. Don’t copy and paste

   When using AI to help you with tasks such as drafting an email or writing a report, don’t copy and paste the information. AI tools such as ChatGPT take information from existing sources such as websites, news articles, blogs, etc. Copying and pasting the information can lead to unintentional plagiarism. Although unintentional, it doesn’t change the fact that it is still plagiarism. If you plan to use AI to help you create a report or response to an email, let AI give you an idea that leads you in the right direction of what you want to communicate.

3. Don’t rely solely on AI

   Although capable of doing many things, AI should not be the single source you use. While powerful, AI has its limitations. There’s the potential for inaccurate information, malfunctions, and system errors. Overreliance on AI can lead to negative repercussions such as a lack of efficiency and decision-making. If something were to happen to your AI software and you can’t use it anymore, would you still be able to produce high-quality work independently, or would you be stuck because you over-rely on AI?

Depending on your company’s policies and procedures, AI can be a great tool in the workforce if used correctly. In a generation where technology rules the world, finding the balance between humans and AI is essential.

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