The Lightwave 

Practical Insights for Skeptics & Users Alike…in (Roughly) Two Minutes or Less

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato (who admittedly could never have fathomed AI or even data privacy)

In our previous post, we talked a little bit about some of the psychological barriers to entry for AI adoption or even basic AI literacy: fear of job displacement, human creativity, and outright mistrust of the technology.

In other words, many AI initiatives are doomed from the get-go. Before you can have a real conversation about AI at an organizational level (big or small), you first need to have a real conversation about AI’s impact—real or imagined—on people.

Per the findings of a recent Microsoft/LinkedIn use survey, 60% of decision makers worry about their organization's lack of a clear AI strategy.

Below are some basic framework ideas that might help you start drafting out a plan.

Start the Conversation

• Start small. Even an informal survey asking for people’s input on their feelings, strengths, weaknesses, concerns, etc., can go a long way.

• Invite AI experts or consultants to give presentations to leadership

• Carve out small scheduled times each week to recap and discuss

• Create a simple internal newsletter highlighting AI basics and potential use cases in your industry

• Create a basic shared knowledge base or Slack channel for people to post questions

Be Open About AI Decision-Making

• Explain in simple terms how AI can potentially assist in making decisions (e.g., "Our AI analyzes customer purchase history to suggest products"; “Our not-so-well-thought-out AI chat-bot accidentally offers someone a $1 brand new car)

• Share success stories and challenges from AI pilot projects. Quick wins work wonders. (“Yay! We didn’t give away a brand new car for $1!”)

Get Your Team Involved

• Ask employees where they think AI could help in their daily work

• Empower your most engaged-in-AI employees in small teams to test AI tools and report back on their experiences

• Create an "AI Suggestions" channel where staff can share ideas

Prioritize Data Privacy

• Review and update your data handling policies

• Clearly communicate to customers how their data might be used in AI systems

• Consult with legal experts on AI-related privacy regulations in your industry

Show How AI Can Help, Not Replace

• Be honest about AI's impact on jobs, while highlighting its benefits

• Demonstrate how AI can take over repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more engaging work

• Offer workshops on "Working Alongside AI" to show how humans and AI can collaborate

• Be upfront about potential role changes, but emphasize opportunities for learning new skills. And actually create opportunities to learn skills.

Set Ground Rules

• Review and update your data handling policies

• Clearly communicate to customers how their data might be used in AI systems. Lots of your employees are using AI; you just don’t know it. This can be a liability if not acknowledged.

• Consult with legal experts on AI-related privacy regulations in your industry

• Develop a clear process for reviewing and approving new AI initiatives

In our next issue, I’ll share some specific safe use cases you can try out to get your employees to start small. The examples will be grounded in ChatGPT—the most well known of all the generative tools—but can be applied to other LLMs, too. We’ll also look at some ways to asses ROI. 60% of leaders worry about quantifying gains and articulating impact.

For more, visit www.NorthLightAI.com