AI Business Solutions: Ways to Protect Data When Using Public AI 

The use of AI tools has spiked since the development of generative AI in the past few years. Today, individuals and even business operations make use of public AI tools on a daily basis. You or your staff use them to generate ideas, write emails, create marketing copies, and summarize long documents quickly. However, despite the enhanced efficiency and time-saving features of AI, AI business solutions providers still warn about the serious risks involved. This is particularly important when handling sensitive information about your business, suppliers, and clientele. 

AI Business Solutions Ways to Protect Data When Using Public AI

Financial and Reputational Protection 

The use of AI is now a necessity in order to stay competitive in the modern markets. However, the convenience that AI-based tools give comes with the unnecessary exposure of important data when AI is used arbitrarily. In fact, a single data breach can cost years’ worth of preventive spending. This immediate additional financial stress involves regulatory fines, lawsuits, as well as disruption of operations. 

Aside from that, an AI business solutions provider highlights the long-lasting reputational damage that comes with the breach. This is because when sensitive information is not handled securely, customers lose confidence in your business. Moreover, internal strategies that are leaked to competitors can turn into a disadvantage. Hence, once credibility has been doubted, it is hard to recover.  

A good example of this is the case of Samsung in 2023 wherein an employee directly pasted a semiconductor source code and meeting agenda in ChatGPT. The goal was supposedly simple, that is to save time. However, the information was kept by the public AI model and was used in training. This seemingly simple human error and the absence of any protective measures lead to a lot of business repercussions. As such, it resulted in the company banning the use of AI tools and brought focus to having clear policies and technical controls over these public AI tools.  

How to Prevent This from Happening to Your Business 

AI business solutions experts say that policy and technology should go hand in hand in order to protect data when utilizing AI. Below are some strategies that can make using public AI less risky for businesses. Moreover, it also leads to long-term security awareness for you and your staff. 

Establish a Clear AI Security Policy 

Having a clear AI security policy eliminates the uncertainty among the employees. This should outline the correct and incorrect utilization of these public AI tools. It must specify which kinds of information should remain confidential. Some of these details may include information such as social security numbers, financial details, merger and acquisition plans, product road maps, and similar. 

In the same vein, the policy must also outline the repercussions for noncompliance. These policies must be emphasized as early as onboarding training to facilitate early awareness and emphasis. Aside from strengthening expectations, quarterly refreshers are also important as AI tools keep evolving. The rules not only discourage unintentional mishap but also create a standard within your employees. 

Mandate the Use of Dedicated Business Accounts 

Using free AI tools means you are in agreement with unspecified data handling conditions. This includes saving data that they can use to train the AI model. Although most AI tool platforms deny using customer data to train their AI models, free versions usually save information automatically despite strict control in user settings. Hence, there are still some risks involved. As such, switching to business-grade plans is a smarter option in order to have better privacy protection and control on data that can be shared. Business-level contracts also establish legal and technical obstacles thereby ensuring that there is no exposure of sensitive inputs to the public. Having a paid business subscription is not just about purchasing features but also having the assurances of compliance and privacy guarantees from the vendors. 

Use Data Loss Prevention Tools to Secure AI Prompts 

Honest human mistakes are unavoidable despite being unintentional. Most of the time, this stems from having an employee unknowingly entering sensitive data into AI chats. This may include trade secrets as well as documents with client’s personal information. Because of this, AI business solutions experts recommend using data loss prevention tools to prevent leakage. Software such as Microsoft Purview and Cloudflare DLP processes prompt and upload in real time. These platforms scan what is to be put on AI tools and automatically block sharing sensitive information.  Aside from identifying patterns that indicate financial records, communication paths, and project code, they also record and report these incidents for review, making it protective without being restrictive.  

Continuous Employee Workshops 

Aside from using tools and implementing policies, safe practices and behavior towards this must foremost be addressed. Having periodic training on safe and secure use of online tools must be done. Moreover, these training must be interactive and use real-life scenarios in order to be effective. You and your team must know how to remove pieces of information that are sensitive without compromising results for analysis of the AI tools. Such training will enable employees to be responsible for their use of AI without compromising efficiency. Having this enables your team to feel engaged while enhancing their security awareness on AI capabilities and its associated threats. 

Periodic Audits on AI Usage 

Security programs need continuous review and monitoring. In this day and age, this must include the use of AI tools and how it is applied in everyday life. An AI business solutions provider explained that visibility is offered through the use of business-tier platforms. With this, it is best to review usage logs either weekly or monthly to check for suspicious trends or policy breaches. The audit is done to identify problems that need to be corrected instead and not enforcement of punishment. This should assist in refining policies and enhancing control in the long run. 

Build a Security-First Culture 

Data security cannot be achieved with technology alone. Creating a culture of safety within the organization is imperative. As such, AI business solutions providers emphasize that company executives should be the role models of safe AI use. Moreover, staff members must feel free to ask questions and make reports without fear of punishment. This transparency will facilitate responsibility, and security is enhanced when everyone collectively carries it. Successful teams do not just passive use of security tools but, more importantly, active practice of safety standards.  

AI Safety Should Be a Business Standard 

Modern businesses can no longer afford to go without AI tools. They are efficient, fast, and competitive. However, just like any tool, safe and responsible use is a priority to prevent costly accidents. Here at EB Solution, our team of AI business solutions experts are more than happy to help you set up secured tools to help optimize your business process. 

Call us today!