In today’s digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our lives. From voice assistants to personalized recommendations, AI-powered technologies have revolutionized the way we interact with technology. However, with the convenience and the power of AI come concerns about data protection and privacy. The use of public AI models raises questions about the safety of our personal and company data. In this blog post I will show you 4 simple steps to use AI safely in your Startup or small business.
When it comes to utilizing AI models, one concern is the potential leakage of sensitive information through the model. Public AI models often rely on vast amounts of data to train and improve their performance. This data can include personal information, confidential documents, or sensitive business data. This is usually collected via the prompts that are used by its users. The fear of this information falling into the wrong hands is a valid concern that must be addressed.
However, given the fact that, according to a Forbes Advisor Study (How Businesses Are Using Artificial Intelligence In 2024 – Forbes Advisor), 64% of business leaders are convinced that AI will increase the overall productivity of their businesses, it seems that just not using AI is not an option.
Luckily, there are a few simple steps that will allow your startup or small company to utilize AI tools in a responsible and secure way.
Step 1: Develop an AI Usage Policy
An AI usage policy acts as a basis for the usage of any AI tool within the company. It should cover the following topics:
- What is AI allowed to be used for?
- What is AI not allowed to be used for?
- What data is allowed to be entered in the various tools?
- When and how do we need to point out that something was created by AI?
This policy guides your employees in the proper use and makes sure you’re not missing out on the potential benefits of this technology in your startup or small business.
Step 2: Create a List of Allowed AI Tools
To further help your employees safeguard your precious data, it’s helpful to prepare a guideline on which tools can be used for company-related tasks. When doing so, it’s vital to specify which type of information is allowed to be provided as input to the AI Tool and what possible use-case it can cover.
Step 3: Introduce AI to Your Company
Finally, it’s time to spread that information and make it easily available to the employees. This step is the most crucial one, as all policies and guidelines won’t help if no one is aware of them.
Step 4 (optional): Use Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is a groundbreaking AI-powered assistant that prioritizes data protection and privacy. Unlike many public AI models, Copilot has been designed with a strong emphasis on safeguarding your company’s data, while still providing you the power of the GPT models. Microsoft understands the importance of keeping your sensitive information secure and has implemented measures to ensure that your data remains protected.
One of the key features of Copilot is that it does not use your company’s data to train its AI algorithms. This means that any information you provide to Copilot remains confidential and will not be used to improve its performance. Your data is safe and secure, shielded from any potential leaks that may occur with public AI models.
The great news is that if you are already an MS365 user, it’s most probably already included in your package so you’re good to go. With Microsoft Search, you already have access to Microsoft Copilot as an LLM that can be used to do research, compose texts, and many more. This will allow you to use AI safely in your startup.
Conclusion
In conclusion, data protection is a critical concern when utilizing public AI models. However, if you’re taking some simple steps, you can utilize the full power of this exciting technology without spending a fortune on tools.
To be completely safe, use Microsoft Copilot. With Copilot, you can rest assured that your company’s data remains confidential and secure. Plus, you might already have it available with your Microsoft 365 licence.
Are you interested in outsourcing the setup of an AI Usage Policy? Cryptix IT4Startups already brings this benefit to its customers. We provide the required policies and guidelines, and do the necessary setup in your tenant, so the only thing you must do is utilize its power. Just get in touch with us, so AI can boost your business!
