So you want to use AI. Or perhaps you’ve simply noticed robot attendees randomly joining your meetings. Or you’ve been on LinkedIn, and been inundated with posts like "Just had a coffee with my AI! ☕ 10 Life-Changing Insights on Why Robots Make the Best Baristas" (that was a ChatGPT suggested title by the way, and honestly I think its hilarious).
Implementing AI-as-a-service in your organisation should be done thoughtfully, as with any introduction of new technology or innovation. To ensure you get all the best bits, and avoid the worst bits, requires thinking. And it requires ensuring that thinking is embraced organisation-wide. To help you do this, OpenUp is sharing our internal policy on “using AI” to help you on this (somewhat inevitable) journey.
Introducing Our AI Use Framework
At OpenUp, our commitment to responsible technology led us to create a simple, yet comprehensive guide for internal AI use: "Can I use AI for this?" While tailored for generative AI-as-a-service, its principles serve as a universal barometer for ethical AI adoption. Today, we're sharing this invaluable resource with the broader community, hoping it sparks more informed and conscious AI decisions across sectors.
Some Principles
I think an essential first step for thinking about “AI ethics” is to first reconsider your own internal organisational values, and then expand these to your AI approach. It is with that in mind that we generated a basis for our own policy that looked at:
- Understanding Over Adoption: It's tempting to jump on the AI bandwagon, but understanding its nuances is paramount. Will you truly benefit, or are you introducing risks you’re not ready to deal with? In law there is an idea around “proportionality” that is quite instructive in a practical way here: considering whether or not something is just requires you to consider whether that action is more or less severe than is necessary for achieving a result.
- Human & AI Synergy: In the march towards automation, are we sidelining our most valuable organisational asset – humans? Ensuring that people (and effects on people) are part of the AI decision is vital.
- Trust & Compassion: From client relations to internal teamwork, infusing compassion and maintaining trust are integral. AI, when misapplied, can sometimes compromise these values.
- Economic & Environmental Considerations: Beyond functionality, it's vital to weigh AI's broader impacts – on privacy, transparency, and our planet. Sustainable development demands we consider our actions in context, and with a strong sense of responsibility.
Before You Dive In
If you've evaluated the AI's appropriateness for your task and decided to go ahead, there are crucial checkpoints to keep in mind. From understanding data implications to being accountable for AI outputs, each step ensures you remain responsible and informed. Think of these are your non-negotiables.
Final Thoughts
At OpenUp, we're not just integrating AI; we're integrating it responsibly. And this extends to our development of AI, too. We invite you to utilise our framework and join us in championing thoughtful innovation.
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