AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been around for a while. It was first introduced to the public in 1951 (although we suspect much earlier) and has taken the world by storm since. It has evolved, along with our understanding of it – and there are both good and bad sides to this technology.
It seems like a bit of a moot point to say that AI – as it’s named – is artificial. As humans, we created it, but there doesn’t seem to be a system in place to manage it.
If humans created AI, then why does my business need to work with it instead of people?
Think of AI as a tool. It can’t answer all your questions, much like anyone else cannot. It scrapes data and provides the information it is provided. That can be invaluable to a business because AI doesn’t require normal currency to operate. It simply is. You don’t have to work with or against AI – you can do both.
AI does come with a flaw: it is without conscience. AI does not discriminate against the data it accumulates. Law does not equal ethics, and ethics do not require morals.
Think of AI as a security camera on your front porch. It will observe the data and report back to you, no questions asked. You must ask the questions and provide the morals, ethics, and background to tailor your response.
This is where humans come in! Working with AI and humans is possible – and it’s rewarding.
What does this have to do with ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI tool – and a great one! It can help writers get out of the block, give them suggestions, and offer insights into what other people have said. Therein lies the problem.
The answers and text you just got are from someone else. You don’t know who, why, or when. Yet, a business might use them to further its financial acumen.
The original writer doesn’t get credit for what they did; much like any other AI tools, the human responsible may not have given their explicit consent for their information, image, or personality to be used in a certain way or to certain audiences.
You wouldn’t rely on a search engine tool to give you completely definitive answers, but it may point you in the right direction of someone who can.
Why is this a nightmare?
A recent news story showed that an artist’s photographs from a medical exam turned up in an AI generator. Alarmed, they tried to get it back – to no avail. They had agreed to the terms and conditions of their medical office in order to get healthcare.
In return, their private photographs were distributed to the masses and will never be recovered. The business and practice will be fined, but the original Doctor who signed off on the privacy policy has passed away.
If businesses rely solely on AI or ChatGPT to give them knowledge, they will miss important gaps. They won’t be able to identify with their audience – the same way that it’s different when you interact with someone online vs. in person! This will indubitably result in miscommunication.
An AI tool doesn’t have the tools we have as humans to discern whether or not something is lawful, moral, ethical, or a combination of all three. Furthermore, it does not possess the knowledge or understanding of an individual’s rights and responsibilities within their circle, a larger circle, or humanity as a whole.
Furthermore, AI doesn’t take data privacy rights seriously. It’s just getting what it can, where it can. If your business didn’t read all the terms and conditions from a site like WordPress or GoDaddy, you may have given up your customers’ rights as well.
This is not your fault – data privacy laws today are cracking down on these types of shady practices. However, that doesn’t mean you aren’t liable.
What does this have to do with data privacy?
Like we stated earlier, AI gets data where and when it can. With cookie tools, data privacy laws, and other digital landscapes evolving, this can be a grey area. As a business that collects consumer data, you are responsible for the data you collect from individuals. This includes things like:
LinkedIn posts
Facebook photos
Tweets
Medium publications
Fillable forms (e.g., subscribe to a newsletter)
Credit card information
Addresses
Parent and child information (for children under 13)
Social Security numbers
And more!
Major throwback to sites that have already been archived…
Myspace
Blogspot
Tumblr
AI can crawl all of that.
Stay on the right side of the law. Protect your end users’ information and you’ll protect your business at the same time. Win-win!
Final take…
A small business can take the first step toward compliance with a cookie consent banner. This will help you build the foundation for staying within the law, globally.
Not only does it show lawmakers that you are proactive in getting customer consent before you take information, but it also gives verifiable records as to when, how, and why.
Reach out to our privacy experts today to get started. We’ll get you set up within 30 minutes or less. Plus, you’ll get a cookie consent banner, free of charge, for 14 days!