Whether you are an association, chamber of commerce, or other non-profit you are now inundated with information about Artificial Intelligence (AI). There is no doubt AI is going to transform how we work, how we live, and how we establish trust. The following three-step process presents an agile approach to AI understanding, adoption, and continuous improvement in implementation.
Step One: Education and Training
All leaders need comprehensive education and training on AI and the power and risks involved in using AI tools like ChatGPT and thousands of others coming out daily. Every platform we work on today – Microsoft 365, Google, Canva, etc. – has already incorporated AI and is coming out with incredibly powerful tools in future releases.
In addition to general content consumption like the AI Foundations YouTube Channel and reviewing research from credible sources, there are many programs for leaders and management professionals such as the Artificial Intelligence Implications for Business Strategy Online Short Course from MIT, the Artificial Intelligence: Business Strategies and Applications by UC Berkeley Executive Education and Emeritus, and AI for Everyone by Andrew Ng. You can also find industry or role specific education and certification in the areas of marketing, manufacturing, graphic design and more.
Step Two: Ready Your Workforce
After you get the basics down and have a better understanding of AI and its implications to your organization, your community, and you as a leader, you need to ensure the safe and effective use of AI and prepare your staff for the skills required. Budget and make sure there are goals associated with AI education for all staff. If they are already using tools have each relevant staff member present AI Use Cases. You can make this fun and engaging by holding demo days, contests, or creating an AI Council in your organization. We’ve built a simple Use Case guide to get you started or use a resource such as the Bernard Marr Use Case Definition and Template.
Step Three: Create Guiding Principles, Policies and Processes Aligned to Organizational Values
You don’t need to start from scratch here. Find existing templates and resources and adapt them to your needs. Start with building Guiding Principles for AI Use that define the ethical, legal, and fundamental principles upon which you make policies and procedures. These guiding principles address Data Collection & Use, Bias Mitigation, Enhanced Human Supervision, Risk Management, Compliance, Continuous Improvement, and Client Responsibility.
Your Policies document can then define your actual assessment, adoption, and use of AI tools. This document focuses on Transparency and Accountability, Fairness and Non-Discrimination, Safety, Reliability and Sustainability, Privacy, Data Protection and Intellectual Property Protection, Human Accountability and Governance, Staff Knowledge and Capabilities, and Continuous Monitoring & Improvement.
Finally, the Processes and Procedures Guide defines the practices to put in place to meet the expectations established by your Policies. This guide focuses on Staff Education, Reporting/Tracking, Monitoring, Partner Relationships, and Tools Assessments.
AI systems should be checked periodically to ensure benefits outweigh inherent risks as well as implicit and explicit related costs, which should be outlined in Use Case scenarios. In these three steps you are well on your way to safe and effective AI adoption.
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