by Andhie Wong
The world of business is changing rapidly with the rise of artificial intelligence. AI tools like ChatGPT offer exciting possibilities for productivity and innovation, but they also bring new challenges — particularly around data security. For businesses, understanding and managing these risks is essential to using AI responsibly.
Picture this: an employee uses an AI tool to check code or summarise a meeting, unknowingly sharing confidential company information in the process. This isn't hypothetical — it's a real risk, as Samsung's own case demonstrated, where confidential data was leaked through employees' ChatGPT use.
Why this happens
Many AI tools, generative models like ChatGPT especially, learn and improve by analysing vast quantities of data. That's what lets them generate human-quality text and code — but it also raises real data-privacy concerns. ChatGPT's own privacy policy explicitly states user input may be used for training purposes, meaning any company data entered into the system could end up incorporated into its training data, with real risk of unintentional exposure or misuse.
That's why businesses need to understand the data-usage policies of whatever AI tools they use. Sharing confidential company information with these tools — even inadvertently — can lead to data leaks and real legal or reputational consequences.
Guidelines for protecting your business
Employee education: train staff on the real risks of using AI tools with company data, and make sure they understand what counts as sensitive information and how to handle it responsibly.
Clear policies: develop and enforce clear internal policy on AI tool use — which tools are permitted, what data can be input, and what security measures are required.
Data minimisation: encourage employees to input only the minimum data necessary when using AI tools. The less shared, the lower the exposure risk.
Secure platforms: where possible, choose AI tools with stronger security or privacy features — data encryption, on-premise deployment — to reduce leak risk.
Monitoring and auditing: regularly review AI tool usage to catch and address data-security vulnerabilities early.
What responsible AI use unlocks
With these guidelines in place, businesses can capture AI's benefits while managing its risks — enhanced efficiency through task automation and streamlined workflows, better decision-making through data-driven insight, and genuine innovation and growth through new products, services and markets.
Closing
The choice here is clear: ignoring AI's risks isn't an option. Businesses that skip responsible AI practices expose themselves to data breaches, legal exposure and reputational damage. By taking proactive steps to protect sensitive information, companies can embrace AI's power while securing a safe, successful future. AI is a real opportunity for businesses to thrive in the digital age — but that progress needs to come paired with a genuine commitment to data security and responsible use, so innovation and data protection move forward together.
Part of the AK AI Corner column. Originally published in Oriental Daily (东方日报) on Apr 21, 2024.