Are you integrating artificial intelligence into your daily tasks? If you’re not, you may find yourself falling behind your colleagues, as AI chatbots, AI image creation tools, and machine learning applications greatly improve efficiency. Nevertheless, with this capability comes the obligation to recognize the security threats linked to the use of AI in the workplace.
As the Tech Editor at Mashable, I have found impactful strategies for leveraging AI tools in my position. My top AI resources for professionals (Otter.ai, Grammarly, and ChatGPT) have been indispensable for activities like transcribing interviews, recording meeting notes, and rapidly summarizing extensive PDFs.
I’m aware that my journey into the potential of AI has just begun. There’s a clear reason college students are turning to ChatGPT in large numbers. However, even the most crucial tools can pose risks if misapplied. A hammer is essential, yet in careless hands, it can become a weapon.
What security hazards are associated with AI usage in the workplace? Should you think twice before uploading that PDF to ChatGPT?
Indeed, there are established security risks with AI applications, and neglecting to comprehend them could endanger your organization and employment.
Risks of compliance with information
If you’ve participated in annual training on HIPAA regulations or the EU’s GDPR, you’re aware that breaching these laws can lead to substantial fines for your organization. Fumbling with client or patient information could also result in losing your job. Furthermore, you may have consented to a non-disclosure agreement at your workplace. Disclosing secure information to external AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT could breach your NDA.
Recently, when a court mandated ChatGPT to retain all customer communications, including those that were deleted, the company cautioned about unintended repercussions. This could compel OpenAI to violate its own privacy policy by keeping information that should have been discarded.
AI firms like OpenAI or Anthropic provide enterprise solutions, crafting tailored AI applications equipped with integrated privacy and cybersecurity safeguards. However, if you’re utilizing a personal ChatGPT account, be cautious when sharing organizational or client data. To protect yourself and your clientele, adhere to these guidelines when employing AI at work:
If feasible, use a corporate or enterprise account for AI tools like ChatGPT, rather than your personal account.
Be familiar with the privacy agreements of the AI applications you are using.
Obtain your employer’s formal policies on the usage of AI in the workplace.
Refrain from uploading PDFs, images, or text that includes sensitive customer data or intellectual property unless you’re authorized to do so.
Risks associated with hallucinations
LLMs like ChatGPT function primarily as word-prediction models and cannot verify the accuracy of their outputs. Consequently, AI hallucinations — fabricated facts, citations, links, or other content — are a continual concern. You might have come across the Chicago Sun-Times summer reading list, which