Learn AI policies and governance for your workplace

- When it comes to the use of any type of technology, context matters. Imagine hopping into your car, you know the rules of the road, having passed your driver's test. You start driving, and then someone smashes into the side of your car, but instead of stopping, they back up and you see them do the exact same thing to another driver. Now, this would be very bad, unless I share a bit more context. You are at an amusement park, and this is a bumper car ride. It's not only okay to smash into people, it's what is expected. What is expected when it comes to the use of generative AI at work? This is something that relies on the context of your workplace. When I work with organizations to help them set policies, we typically start with the external scan of relevant laws, some of which we've touched on, but then we'll also look at societal norms and expectations, company values, the domain or industry in which the company operates, the specific roles of various employees. All of that can help inform the basis of a workplace policy for the acceptable use of generative AI. Your company likely already has other types of acceptable use policies. For example, you'll likely have policies around the use of software or around cybersecurity. Companies also need policies for generative AI, in order to provide the necessary guidance for their employees. Some organizations have taken a very strong stance and banned the use of certain AI tools, such as ChatGPT. This makes it clear that their employees are not to use that tool. Other organizations may have purchased specific generative AI tools that are kept behind a corporate firewall or have other guardrails, and the company might want its employees to only use those tools. The acceptable use policy will set out the details for what is permissible in your organization. But, what if your organization doesn't have this kind of policy? This might be an opportunity for someone who understands the importance of a generative AI policy to work with management to create a clear set of guidelines for the organization. After taking this course, you'll have some important insights about the kinds of issues that might need to be addressed in a workplace policy. In other words, you might be in a position to help your organization set the rules of the road for acceptable use of generative AI in your workplace. In the meantime, in the absence of any clear guidelines from your organization, it's up to you to make some tough ethical choices about using generative AI responsibly.