How often have we heard lately, “Don’t worry, I’ll just use AI”? The technology, specifically generative AI, has become our default for handling everyday tasks, including at the office. McKinsey & Company put it bluntly: “Nearly everyone” is using AI at work. While the ease and supposed efficiencies of these tools are appealing, our growing reliance raises the question, should AI always be our go-to?
Not so fast, say cybersecurity experts. A report from MIT found 95% of companies’ investments in generative AI produced no financial or operational returns. Other studies show many employees are using the platforms without clear guidance or safeguards. As Pew Research discovered, only a quarter of workers have received AI training.
So, when, where and why — or why not — should we use AI in the workplace? We turned to Sullivan Wright Technologies for advice.
WHEN // One of the best times to use generative AI is at the start of a project. The technology can be helpful as a jumping-off point, such as testing out different ad concepts, but not for producing finished products. In other words, we shouldn’t just copy and paste. Remember, AI-generated content isn’t original or new. The models are trained on existing data. In fact, it can be quicker to do it ourselves than to refine the output from an AI tool.
WHERE // When it comes to AI in the workplace, we should always use employer-approved platforms. If our companies don’t already have these services, we should request them rather than going out on our own. Choosing a platform by ourselves could lead to inadvertently exposing sensitive information to an unconstrained model, which could ingest our data for training purposes. As IBM pointed out, the threat “lies in just how open [these models] are to misuse.”
WHY // Before using a generative AI tool, we should ask ourselves whether it truly provides value. Are we trying out different platforms because they are trendy and cool, or because they deliver better results? We need to be careful not to contribute to the flood of “AI slop,” low- to mid-quality content, including audio, images, text and videos. While this content is quick and sometimes fun to produce, Fast Company, as well as many others, warns it is “leading to piles of dreck” (aka trash) that is degrading the quality of the internet.
In today’s world, the appeal of generative AI is clear. Who doesn’t want seemingly coherent content with the click of a button? But it’s vital to remember AI isn’t without faults or security risks. Yes, generative AI can be helpful, within reason, if we’re strategic with how we use it. And that includes in our workplaces.
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