AI in the workplace offers rewards and risks

Local cybersecurity experts are optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in workplace applications, seeing it as a powerful tool for enhancing efficiency and security. They believe AI can streamline processes, detect anomalies, and respond to threats faster than traditional methods. However, these experts caution that businesses must approach AI implementation thoughtfully and strategically ChatGPT wrote that above paragraph after being given a prompt to “write a paragraph that says how local cybersecurity experts believe artificial intelligence holds great promise for workplace applications, but businesses have to use the technology wisely to avoid pitfalls.” Use of AI in the workplace — whether it’s to write, research, or automate — is becoming more common by the day, which means workplaces need to consider when, how, and even if they will adopt the use of the ever-evolving technology. “In general, AI is going to be part of our daily lives whether we want it or not,” says Javier Figueroa, cybersecurity manager at M.A. Polce IT and Cybersecurity in Rome. The key is to figure out how to incorporate it while still protecting privacy and security. “It’s reaching almost an infection point,” Cully Patch, senior program manager for cybersecurity at Quanterion Solutions, Inc. in Utica, notes. “Some of it’s rather amazing.” IBM defines artificial intelligence as “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.” The original intended use of AI was as an agent or tool for humans, Patch says, adding it was a tool to take over some of the mundane tasks. AI has uses ranging from speech recognition for speech-to-text applications to evaluating vast amounts of data in search of anomalies. As consumers, we may be interacting with AI on a company website when we use the chat feature to ask basic questions and chatbots are able to provide answers to them. In medicine, AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data — and pick out patterns in data — could help lead to things like better disease detection or improved treatment plans, Figueroa says. “I think doctors will start using it as part of their overall toolkit,” he adds. However, the benefits of AI don’t come without risks, Patch says. First, AI can only analyze the data it’s given. Incomplete data — or data with biases — will come through in the results. “These are real smart search engines, if you will,” he says of AI technologies, but they can’t completely replace the human element just yet. Users should carefully review any material produced by AI for accuracy, biases, and other potential negatives. For example, a chatbot can manage a bunch of FAQ — frequently asked questions — chats simultaneously, but a human should be monitoring those chats to make sure the chatbot is giving the correct answers, Patch advises. AI also comes with legitimate privacy concerts, Figueroa says. It’s important to ask what happens to your data once you input it into the AI technology. What about copyright? Who owns the material produced? Do you have to openly label any material produced by AI? Those are all questions that should be addressed in the company’s AI vetting process and policy. “Unfortunately, on the cybersecurity side, we’re seeing the bad guys use AI,” he adds. Technology like ChatGPT allows those bad guys to write better phishing emails, for example. Fortunately, the good guys are also using AI to help them detect — and react — to malicious activity much faster, Figueroa says. For any business even thinking about adopting AI technology as part of their operation, the first place to start is policy, he says. Define the acceptable uses of AI within the company, including what information can be input into the technology. Patch recommends businesses visit cisa.gov, the website of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, for some best-practice tips. “It’s probably gotten to the point where businesses can leverage these tools without a high cost,” Patch says, which can provide a strong return on investment.