Welcome to an exploration into the realm of responsible AI.
In an era defined by fast technological advancements, and a 2023 where AI exploded into the “mainstream”, the responsible use of AI has become increasingly pivotal.
This article aims to show you why this responsible use of AI is so important, the importance of frameworks and control, and some practices that we are discovering on a daily basis as artificial intelligence evolves, transforms and becomes more complex.
But first … what exactly is responsible AI?
2023 was essentially the year that Generative AI reached the masses. Mainly through ChatGPT (and with the help of others like Midjourney or DALL-E) a large part of the population was exposed to something they had never witnessed before. A “robot” that can deliver something I want via a prompt. After the probable initial mistrust, most likely the first thought in everyone’s head who works in the digital, technological and innovation worlds, among others, is: this could save me time used for “boring” work. And so, many people quickly started using ChatGPT for their work tasks.
With this comes a big problem. AI should be used in an integrated way and as an ally in our work. It should be used with us and not used to replace a task 100%. Also, the vast majority of users of any AI tool will not have done in-depth research into how to use these tools ethically, without jeopardizing confidential or critical information for their company and/or clients.
To get a sense of this, we can look at the spectrum outside the “business world”. A quick scroll, for example on the social network X or TikTok, and we can easily find images altered or created by artificial intelligence of relevant figures worldwide in situations that are derogatory or dangerous to their image, or even fake news. If this mission of Responsible AI is not taken seriously by any organization, this type of situation can occur in its own context.
As a result, many organizations have realized the importance of quickly controlling risks with frameworks and sets of responsible AI practices.
How to implement Responsible AI Practices
Applying responsible AI practices can be confusing or complicated since, depending on the context, we may have to do it for 10 people or 1000 people. However, the initial process ends up being the same.
It’s crucial to analyze the current situation. Which AI platforms do we use in our organization? Who uses them? For what purposes? What possible risks could it bring to our specific context? Asking these questions among the people in our company, discussing them with colleagues and stakeholders in the field, talking to experts in the area of risk and AI, is the starting point for understanding where we should be heading.
Once all the insights gathered in the first phase have been gathered, the next step is to draw up guidelines that everyone should follow across the board. How these guidelines are presented depends on everyone’s criteria. A specific framework with several steps that should be followed as a working methodology or a list of rules or checkpoints (such as what to use in a prompt, what kind of information can or cannot be put in it) are examples of possible ways of implementing responsible AI practices. It’s important to take some time to think about this. The message has to reach everyone in a clear, concise way that is easy to understand and implement. Making these practices almost “visual”, even with examples of “how to” and “what happens if we don’t respect these guidelines” will make it much simpler for the whole organization to implement them quickly.
These indications that we are going to pass on to the entire organization should be used to facilitate safe collaboration between a human and an AI tool, not to control or limit it.
Now it’s time to put it into practice and spread the word. It’s not enough to simply email the whole company a PDF that will perhaps be ignored by half of it. You need to demonstrate that the organization as a whole is invested in embracing artificial intelligence safely and responsibly. Organize test sessions, workshops or training, make a presentation in which you explain in depth all the points that are mirrored in our new working method for AI, ask for suggestions for improvement and feedback, do specific projects with clients where these new methodologies will be used and evaluated in terms of effectiveness.
Carrying out all these actions will send out the message that these responsible AI practices are really important for the organization and critical for everyone to follow.
Easier and better work with Responsible AI
In such a fast-paced world, where there is innovation and a new challenge every day, the organizations that are quickest to accept, investigate, explore and embrace this new ways of work, are the ones that are going to succeed.
2023 was the “mainstream” explosion of AI, and 2024 is going to take it to another level. And with no doubt, if your company takes the responsible AI mission seriously and as a priority, you will be safer, more prepared and ready to attack the new challenges that artificial intelligence will create.
Don’t limit yourself!
If you wish to learn more about this subject, be sure to check the full article.
Read more: Responsible AI: From principles to practice
