digital art of a secure lock

Expera IT was established in Calgary in 1996. We’ve guided our awesome clients through many changes in the technology landscape, ensuring that their businesses are positioned to leverage the latest tools to operate efficiently, effectively, and securely.

The latest change in the technology landscape is the groundbreaking strides that A.I. technologies have made in the last few years. We’re hearing many questions from clients and tech enthusiasts about what tools to use, how to separate the hype from hard facts, and how to best use these solutions for their business.

Our CEO and Founder, Vince Fung, recently gave a virtual keynote on the topic, and in this blog series, we’ll be diving a little deeper into each of the key points.

Today’s blog outlines the essential elements that should be included in an A.I. security policy to guide your organization in the responsible use of AI.

 

Why Does Your Business Need an A.I. Security Policy?

Before kicking off your A.I. journey, it’s critical to have an A.I. policy in place.

This policy acts as a framework that defines how A.I. can be used within your organization. Transparency is key, both internally among staff and externally with stakeholders such as investors and customers.

  • An A.I. policy ensures that:
  • A.I. is used ethically, with accountability in place
  • Ensures data privacy and security
  • Provides a clear list of vetted A.I. tools for your team to use
  • Ensures fairness and non-discrimination
  • All of this sets you up to use A.I. efficiently and makes sure that these solutions are implemented in acceptable areas with manageable risks.

 

Defining Ethical Use and Accountability

A.I. tools are not yet at a stage where they can operate without human oversight, so accountability needs to be clearly defined within the organization.

It’s important to clearly outline who is responsible for the outcomes produced by A.I. and how these outcomes are disseminated.

This accountability ensures that any issues or risks arising from A.I. use are promptly addressed.

 

Ensuring Data Privacy and Security

Just as with human employees or third-party vendors, A.I. tools should be governed by strict data privacy and security protocols.

The policy should specify:

  • what data can be accessed by AI
  • how this data is classified
  • the security controls required to protect sensitive information.

Treating A.I. as you would an employee or partner in terms of data handling is crucial for maintaining confidentiality and security.

 

Approved A.I. Tools

Statistics have shown that many employees are already “bringing their own A.I. tools to work”.

While this trend shows that workers are eager to leverage these efficient tools, like any software product, A.I. tools must be evaluated for their suitability and security before being deployed.

Implementing a vetting process and a list of approved A.I. tools provides clarity to your team and helps you ensure compliance with governance and confidentiality standards. It also helps you to avoid any tricky potential legal and security issues.

 

Fairness and Non-discrimination

A.I. systems do have some drawbacks to be aware of. They’re trained by humans, and on data sets created by humans. Therefore, it’s important to recognize that at times, results may contain bias. For example, if A.I. is trained based on data from a particular age group, gender, or other demographic, the results may be skewed or biased.

At the highest levels, A.I. experts are taking the necessary steps to make sure A.I. systems are trained in a way that mitigates bias, but it is also important to monitor for and mitigate, these biases on an individual level as well.

 

Human Oversight

As we mentioned before, A.I. tools aren’t yet at a place where they can operate without human monitoring. For example, as Microsoft’s Copilot’s name suggests, this solution is designed to assist but not replace human decision-making.

Having rules in place requiring human oversight is essential to ensure A.I. actions align with organizational goals and ethical standards.

 

Regular Policy Updates

An A.I. policy isn’t “set it and forget it”. The rapidly evolving A.I. landscape requires frequent updates to your policy so that you don’t lag behind.

While it may seem frequent, we recommend that organizations review and make the necessary updates to their A.I. policy every 90 days, to make sure that you’re staying at the forefront of new insights and developments.

It’s also important to make sure employees are aware of these updates so that everyone is on the same page.

 

Get Started With A Free A.I. Policy Template

For organizations looking to establish their A.I. policy, we’ve got you covered. Our free A.I. policy template provides a great starting point and all of the key considerations that we’ve outlined in this blog.

However, it’s key to note that this template is only a starting point. In addition to adapting it to your organization’s needs, this document should be thoroughly reviewed by your organization’s HR and legal departments.

Get kicked off with our template here.

 

Is Your Organization Ready to Adopt AI? Book an A.I. Risk and Readiness Assessment Today

Want to discover how ready your organization is to leverage A.I. as a competitive advantage? Book an AI Risk and Readiness Assessment or sign up for free resources to stay in the loop. 

Implementing a well-defined A.I. security policy is the first step in the responsible and safe adoption of A.I. technologies within any organization. By addressing transparency, accountability, data privacy, approved tools, fairness, human oversight, and regular updates, businesses can harness the benefits of A.I. while mitigating potential risks.