AI in the Workplace: The Dos and Don’ts

AI, also known as artificial intelligence, has boomed since 2023, with sites like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini becoming increasingly popular. This tool is thought to know everything and is bound to become an integral and helpful part of our everyday lives. But is it okay to use in the workplace?

What type of AI will most employees use?

The AI tools employees are most likely to use are conversational question-and-answer models. ChatGPT is the most commonly accessible AI tool and is free, and most employees will use ChatGPT.

How does AI work?

AI tools work by scanning all the text data from the internet and learning from repeated words and phrases, giving the most common, narrowed-down answers. The more questions that are asked around a topic, the more specific the answers will be.

How does ChatGPT work?

ChatGPT will give different answers to the same question each time. What is a concern is that it can even respond with answers or statistics, which it creates itself. In other words, there is no basis for truth at all.

Indeed, there was a case where a litigant quoted precedents created by AI which were entirely fictitious. https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/litigant-unwittingly-put-fake-cases-generated-by-ai-before-tribunal

Why use AI at work?

AI, has huge potential to save time and increase productivity at work when used by an operator who has some knowledge and experience to check and verify its output. It is particularly useful for:

1. Summarising: AI is fantastic at summarising and picking out key information from a large block of text, like reports. You can even tailor it towards what will be discussed during a meeting by providing some extra information.
2. Planning out your day or week: AI is a great tool to treat as your personal assistant. Simply enter any meetings, private appointments and other time allocations you need to squeeze in and let AI do the rest.
3. Generating initial ideas: getting the ball rolling on a project can be difficult for anyone. Asking it to generate some ideas around a topic can be useful to pivot off. It makes starting less daunting and more structured and takes away any hesitancy caused by not knowing where to begin.

When is it not acceptable to use AI at work?

Although AI can be a fantastic productivity tool, it does have its limitations, especially in the workplace. ChatGPT works by learning from users and the information that’s fed into it.

Therefore, sensitive and confidential company information should never be input to these tools. Indeed, inputting personal data which is not anonymised could be a breach of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

One of the most common uses of ChatGPT is during recruitment. Employers tend to use it to screen CVs. This can be considered ‘automated decision-making’, therefore breaching GDPR.

Candidates must give explicit consent and allow their CV to be fed into these tools for employers to stay compliant.

AI at Work Tips to Employers

Currently, there is no specific AI law regarding workplace use; however, many employers have and will be introducing in-house policies employees must follow.

We encourage employers to supply staff with training around ethical use and the consequences of misuse.

There is reluctance to create legislation as the technology is progressing so rapidly. However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has stated they will be introducing research and formal guidance for the UK in the 2024/2025 business plan.

If you need help to develop guidance for employees to protect your business, please contact HR First today.