Punit Bhatia is an advisor with FIT4PRIVACY who helps leaders create and implement their AI & privacy compliance strategies.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a hot topic. Many companies want to implement this technology, but how can you do it right? As an advisor who helps leaders and companies with their AI and privacy compliance strategies, here are 10 of my recommendations for how to ensure you end up on the right side of AI.
• Define your strategy, policy and framework. While there are numerous different frameworks and guidelines available for AI implementation, you need to have an organization-wide AI policy and framework that articulates how to act in a responsible way while balancing privacy concerns. As you do so, it is essential to reflect and articulate what specific benefit(s) your company seeks from AI in the longer term. For example, do you expect to create a new product line, improve the effectiveness of existing product lines, or increase sales? Having such clarity would mean you are clear on how your AI strategy and policy would contribute to the overall strategy and objectives.
• Set up governance. Implementing your strategy, policy and framework requires structure and governance. Defining governance is key for assessing, reviewing and deciding on AI projects in a responsible manner. Having structure in place also helps facilitate consistency in decision-making, offers guidance on various AI projects, helps balance the privacy interests of individuals, and demonstrates accountability. This allows you to review and consider the key stakeholders to include and how to get their opinions and buy-in structurally through regular meetings on AI matters.
• Create a dedicated team or department. While the governance structure helps, having a dedicated department or team that is responsible for AI ensures that all concerns and queries within the organization are centralized and addressed systematically. This department should also be essential for striking a balance between AI and privacy. It can defend AI interests while the privacy department does the same for privacy interests.
• Get your staff trained. Like any other initiative, it is essential that your key staff are trained on and knowledgeable about AI and privacy matters. For clients I work with, I recommend that key staff members are onboarded or trained on projects relating to AI and privacy before these projects are launched.
• Set aside investments. Money is an essential component of any business initiative. Therefore, your organization needs to set up a fund dedicated to investments in AI. As you already realize, each of these critical success factors requires manpower, effort and training, so investments remain a core element. Typically, large AI firms and technology companies set up AI investment funds and dedicate budgets to deploy AI; acquire or support AI and machine learning startups, building blocks, capabilities and tools; optimize existing innovation and products; finance basic research, and develop disruptive solutions or solutions to tackle global societal challenges (such as with “AI for good” programs).
• Create a secure infrastructure and ecosystem. We live in a digital world, and cyber threats are inevitable. The creation and maintenance of a secure infrastructure and a robust ecosystem are critical to your organization’s success in balancing AI and privacy. Therefore, make sure you enable an ecosystem that implements best-in-class security measures. In my opinion, all companies must invest in measures to ensure data and systems are secure and protected against intrusions from hackers.
• Prioritize intrapreneurship. Projects in this AI space are risky. There are bound to be failures. Therefore, it is essential to promote and instill a spirit of intrapreneurship in staff who are working on these initiatives.
• Keep communications open and proactive. As projects fail, you do not want rumors to spread and lose control over what people say has happened. Thus, working on creating a culture of openness and transparency is paramount, and is one of the most important success factors for your organization.
• Leverage your investments and efforts. As an organization with a responsible AI and privacy approach, it is critical to be proud of your efforts. If you are doing it, let it be known. Share your inside stories, ideas, frameworks and plans in order to create positive branding for your organization and add substance to its reputation.
• Welcome outside perspectives. It will be essential to define cooperation and collaboration with outside panels representing public organizations and policymakers at the governmental level. This may be a stretch for smaller companies, but those specializing in AI and large companies choosing to leverage AI must incorporate this.
Always remember that a cultural change such as this does not happen in a day and takes time to come into full effect. However, leveraging your investments and efforts from a long-term perspective should be a core part of your brand strategy. Are you in it for the long game?
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