A 5-Step Strategy for Responsible AI
AI is changing how our businesses operate and compete. As we rely more on AI, having strong governance is essential to ensure our AI tools are used securely, ethically, and responsibly. Our use of AI should align with your company’s values and regulatory standards.
By setting clear policies and accountability, you can reduce risks like data breaches, ethical issues, and noncompliance. Strong governance also prevents unauthorized AI use, making sure that every AI activity supports your business goals.
1 Create Comprehensive AI Use Policies
Unauthorized AI use, or Shadow AI, creates serious risks for your business. To manage Shadow AI and other risks, you need visibility, control, and guidance for your team. A well-crafted AI Usage Policy reduces the chance of mistakes or misuse and helps you responsibly manage AI usage.
Your AI usage policies should:
- Define allowed and unallowed use of AI as a tool/resource
- Outline principles for ethical and appropriate use
- Specify security guidelines to ensure data protection and compliance with regulations, industry standards, and contractual obligations
Your policies should also clearly state:
- How your team should handle your company data
- How your team should handle and protect third party data
- Which AI tools are approved
- When and how team members may use external AI resources
2 Implement and Monitor Controls
Implementing access controls and monitoring systems helps you identify when AI tools are being used outside approved channels.
Create processes for:
- Your team to request access to AI tools and services
- Evaluating requested tools for applicable use cases, usability, security, and cost
- Deploying new AI tools and services, including education and training
Periodically audit your environment to spot unauthorized applications before they create problems.
Work with your team to move to authorized AI tools that provide the same capabilities or review and select a solution you can secure and support.
3 Ensure Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Compliance is a key aspect of responsible AI use. Your AI practices need to follow data privacy laws, industry regulations, and contractual obligations.
Begin by identifying and reviewing relevant laws, industry standards, and contractual obligations related to data privacy. Identify any specific conditions or requirements related to the use of AI services.
You want to be able to demonstrate and document your compliance. Review the security compliance certifications and practices of your AI services and tools. Collect the necessary information, including how your AI tools collect, store, and use data.
Regular audits will help catch potential issues, particularly with Shadow AI.
Stay current with evolving legislation to ensure that your AI practices remain compliant over time.
4 Prioritize Ethical AI Practices
Ethical AI builds trust and protects your reputation. When you prioritize ethics, you show that your business values integrity and fairness, strengthening relationships with clients and stakeholders.
- Regularly review your AI models and the data they use to remove bias and ensure transparency in decision-making. In addition to bias detection and mitigation, AI training should include diverse data sources and that results are not skewed by inherent biases.
- Make sure your AI is fair, explainable, and accountable, so your team and clients can trust its outcomes. AI tools should articulate results and decisions in human-understandable terms. People need to be able to understand the rationale behind the AI results.
- Ensure you have human judgement and intervention at every stage of your AI journey. Clear lines of responsibility provide accountability. Human review prevents over-use of AI, particularly in decision-making. Encourage feedback from employees, clients, and other stakeholders.
5 Train and Support Your Team
Your AI strategy will only succeed if your team knows how to use AI safely and effectively. When your team is confident in using AI, you maximize its benefits while minimizing risks.
Provide training and support that covers technical skills, applicability to relevant use cases, and ethical considerations.
Support strategies include:
- Offering training sessions and user guides.
- Providing a dedicated support team for questions.
- Offering ongoing learning opportunities as AI evolves.
How We Help
Using AI securely and ethically requires careful planning and ongoing effort. Our Cloud Advisors can help you identify use cases, select tools and services, endure data security and government, and help your team get the most from your AI investments.
About the Author
Bill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with cloud forward solutions that meet their business needs, priorities, and budgets. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped over 200 organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience effective change management.
Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global. Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America. Starting his first business at age 12, Allen is a serial entrepreneur. He has launched strategic IT consulting, software, and service companies. An advocate for small and midsize businesses, Allen served on the board of the former Smaller Business Association of New England, local economic development committees, and industry advisory boards.