Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are quickly developing and being used at a continually increasing rate. The technology industry is expanding daily with the creation of new AI programs and despite some uncertainty as to the long-term consequences of the use of these programs, AI is increasingly being used in the workplace.
The use of AI in the workplace does have its benefits for many professions. However, more and more businesses are restricting the use of AI for various reasons.
Benefits of using AI in the workplace
It is undeniable that AI has a significant impact on businesses with one of its most significant advantages being the automation of routine tasks.
By using AI tools, a company’s systems for employee and client onboarding and offboarding can become an automated process which can save a significant amount of employee time for other tasks. AI programs can efficiently manage data and clarify the content of documents which greatly assists in keeping files up to date.
Another benefit of the use of AI tools is for research. Traditional methods of research can be time-consuming due to the level of thoroughness required. With AI programs, professionals can undertake more targeted searches, improving the efficiency of the research.
In the legal field, AI’s analysing tools opened controversial opportunities in predictive analytics where analysts aim to predict the outcome of legal disputes with a view to assessing risks in agreements (predominantly insurance backed agreements at this point).
While the use of AI tools comes with the promise of more time efficiency for certain professionals, the speed of adoption and unregulated use of AI has caused some employers great concern, particularly in the legal field.
Restriction of the use of AI in the workplace
Despite the many benefits arising from using AI in the workplace, it has quickly become apparent that some employees, and even senior staff, were able to abuse or misuse these AI tools.
There are currently no laws in the UK specifically governing the use of AI in the workplace. However, there are areas, for example employment law, where employers can restrict the use of AI tools at work.
There should be a certain degree of mutual trust and confidence between an employer and an employee. With the emergence of AI, the degree to which an employer can use AI in decision-making rather than apply their own judgement could massively undermine the basis of an employment contract and easily tarnish its relationship with its employees.
There is conclusive evidence that AI tools can exhibit bias if they are poorly trained. This raises major concerns about equality across the board. The Equality Act 2010 may prohibit discrimination on the grounds of any protected characteristics, such as race, sex or age, but a far-right wing programmer for example could easily compromise compliance with that Act. All humans have some bias, the developers of AI have a particular responsibility to ensure that as little of that bias gets into the tools and systems they create.
On top of the risks flagged above, the use of AI tools can also make a company more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity is a fundamental principle of data protection, and the use of AI tools increases the risk of a breach of sensitive data.
It is therefore crucial for businesses to minimise the risk of a data breach by putting in place policies that clearly set out a framework for the use of AI programs in the workplace.
Recently, an international law firm, blocked general access to several AI tools due to a significant increase in usage by its employees. The firm believed that most of the use of these AI tools was against the firm’s AI policy. The firm’s management decided to limit the use of these programs to employees who were able to show a legitimate need, via a formal “request for access” process.
In response to the law firm’s actions, a spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office declared that firms should embrace the use of AI in a positive manner and not discourage their staff from using it. In addition, the chief executive of the Law Society of England and Wales declared that “AI could improve the way we do things a great deal”.
It is not denied that the use of AI can fundamentally change the way professionals conduct their tasks. However, unlimited access for employees is not the solution, at least for the time being. The international law firm mentioned above did not completely prohibit the use of AI tools and instead, it tightened access to those tools via its AI policy.
In support of this, a spokesperson from the Solicitors Regulation Authority declared that “despite increased interest in new technology, there remains a lack of digital skills across all sectors in the UK. This could present a risk for firms and consumers if legal practitioners do not fully understand the new technology that is implemented”.
This statement is bought into sharp relief by the strange events in a legal case from 2023. A New York lawyer faced court action after his law firm used the AI tool ChatGPT for legal research. During a hearing, the New York lawyer used ChatGPT generated research which contained inaccurate information leading to the judge facing the “unprecedented circumstance” of a court filing that referenced legal cases that did not exist!
AI tools bring new opportunities to all businesses across various industries. But there are high risks to blindly trusting these tools. Businesses should carefully consider how they want their staff to use such tools, given that a mistake in the results delivered by AI could easily damage the company’s reputation and potentially lead to severe financial losses.
The information provided in this article is provided for general information purposes only, and does not provide definitive advice. It does not amount to legal or other professional advice and so you should not rely on any information contained here as if it were such advice.
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The information published across our Knowledge Base is correct at the time of going to press.
