We are at a pivotal point in our lives technology-wise. Artificial Intelligence is taking the markets by storm and has become a tool that almost anyone can use with just a swipe of a finger to the ChatGPT app.
With these technological advancements come advantages but also pitfalls that we may not be prepared for, especially in the workplace. Perhaps you’ve heard the recent story about a lawyer who used ChatGPT to write his brief for a case. Unfortunately for him, ChatGPT made up and cited fake cases, and the lawyer was caught red-handed when no evidence of the cited cases could be found. Yikes, what a terrible look for both him and the law firm he works at!
This case couldn’t help but pique my interest as someone who has spent a considerable time creating policies to help keep employees and businesses OUT of trouble. It had not previously occurred to me, but hearing this case convinced me that creating rules and guidelines surrounding the use of AI in the workplace is definitely a good idea. AI is so new that most people aren’t even aware of just how much it can get them in hot water if they don’t truly understand the model and how it gets information.
AI is so new that most people aren’t even aware of just how much it can get them in hot water if they don’t truly understand the model and how it gets information.
If your startup hasn’t already done so, I’d say now is the time to start educating your employees on AI proactively. If you would like another source other than myself, here are some reasons why ChatGPT believes it should be used with caution at work. The following paragraphs are a result of prompting ChatGPT on the subject:
Lack of Contextual Understanding:
One of the significant limitations of ChatGPT is its inability to grasp context effectively. The model relies on patterns and examples from its training data, which might not encompass the specific domain or industry knowledge required for certain job functions. Consequently, employees may receive generic or incorrect information, leading to mistakes, misunderstandings, and potentially adverse outcomes.
Incomplete Real-Time Information:
ChatGPT’s knowledge is confined to data available up until September 2021, meaning it lacks awareness of recent developments, industry updates, and evolving regulations. This knowledge gap can have severe implications for decision-making processes and may result in obsolete or inaccurate recommendations. Jobs that rely heavily on up-to-date information, such as finance, law, or technology, can be particularly compromised by this limitation.
Security and Privacy Concerns:
Integrating ChatGPT into work processes often involves sharing sensitive or confidential information with the AI model. However, this poses significant security and privacy risks. Unlike human employees who can understand the importance of data protection, ChatGPT lacks the necessary safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of intellectual property, customer information, and trade secrets. A breach of this information could lead to severe legal and financial consequences for organizations.
Emotional Intelligence and Empathy Deficit:
While ChatGPT can generate responses, it lacks emotional intelligence and empathy. In roles that involve customer service or support, these qualities are vital. ChatGPT’s inability to comprehend and respond appropriately to nuanced emotions can lead to dissatisfied customers and strained relationships. Human employees possess the ability to understand and empathize with customers’ concerns, providing a level of personalized support that AI models cannot replicate.
Limited Problem-Solving Capabilities:
While ChatGPT excels at providing information based on patterns in its training data, it lacks the critical thinking and creative problem-solving capabilities that humans possess. Complex problems often require human insight, intuition, and ingenuity. Relying solely on ChatGPT for such tasks may result in suboptimal outcomes, as the model cannot approach problems from diverse perspectives or adapt to unique scenarios.
Inadequacy for Complex or Specialized Tasks:
Certain job functions demand intricate or specialized knowledge that ChatGPT’s general-purpose training might not cover comprehensively. Scientific research, legal analysis, technical troubleshooting, and other specialized domains require expertise and domain-specific knowledge that AI models may not possess. Relying solely on ChatGPT in such scenarios can lead to errors, inefficiencies, and compromised quality of work.
{Now, back to me, the human}
In short, AI is such a new and interesting tool that has come to our disposal, and we should be sure to use it cautiously. With this, it is important to ensure that our teams are educated on it and that we communicate with them how they can or shouldn’t use AI in their day-to-day jobs. It may just save you from a potentially embarrassing situation!