Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm. People of all ages, from the youngest to the oldest, use it. AI demonstrates its skills in a variety of fields – from helping with homework to inventing complex code. As we discussed in a previous article, AI may seem free, but it comes with costs far greater than a monthly subscription. So, is it possible to use it ethically?

The Issue of Copyright and Transparency 

Artificial intelligence “learns” by using the information it’s fed. Therefore, it doesn’t invent things on its own, it doesn’t create things from scratch, but merely recreates what someone else has previously created. That’s why it’s so important to remember to consider copyright before feeding the AI ​​new content.  

If artificial intelligence responds to our request by creating a drawing, poem, or other content based on someone else’s work, we must remember to honestly and appropriately credit this in the post if we want to share this work with others. Let’s not take credit for someone else’s work. Just because we had a creative idea on how to “improve” someone else’s work doesn’t mean we are the creators ourselves. In this case, we can rather call ourselves teachers who guided a very talented student (AI) on the right path. Implementing new products and services on the market should be done at the initiative of the person who came up with the idea – otherwise, it’s simply theft of intellectual property. 

If we do ask AI to help us create a new piece of work, we must remember not to attempt to generate content in a way that blatantly imitates the style of a specific, living creator without their consent. Many artists make a living from their art, so let’s try to appreciate and respect what we receive from them through their hard work.  

Privacy and Security 

It’s crucial to remember that AI models learn from the content we provide them with and then use the data they were trained on to generate subsequent responses. Therefore, it’s crucial to remember that under no circumstances should you enter confidential information or personal data – your own or others’ – into ChatGPT and similar chatbots. Avoid providing names, passwords, or uploading files that may contain company secrets and so-called “sensitive” data, which require special protection under the GDPR.  

Additionally, if we’re using AI at work, we should ensure we’re using enterprise-grade models, not public versions. This is especially important when using chatbots to assist with work. In such cases, it’s crucial to use paid enterprise versions, which guarantee our data won’t be used to train external models.  

Critical Verification 

It’s crucial to remember while using AI that it isn’t infallible. Unfortunately, chatbots still often make mistakes, spreading misinformation. It’s our responsibility not to be misled by such content and instead to thoroughly verify any information we receive in response before sharing it with others. This is a crucial element of AI ethics, as we increasingly encounter situations in which people blindly believe the information provided by AI models, misinforming and even harming others due to their ignorance. Therefore, it’s crucial to verify all data and sources and draw appropriate conclusions independently.

It’s also important to remember that, depending on its owner, artificial intelligence may share the biases of its creator and the company that finances it. AI models can guide us to information intended to persuade us to take a particular stance. Furthermore, algorithms can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and foster discrimination against certain individuals and groups, especially minorities. Therefore, it’s important to approach the information we receive critically.  

Technology and the Environment 

To get the most out of AI, you need to learn how it works. It’s worth knowing that chatbots are often focused on “agreeing” with the person asking the question. Models specifically seek out information that will confirm the questioner’s thesis. Therefore, to protect the environment as much as possible, we need to optimize our queries. This will help us avoid generating multiple responses, which is extremely important in the context of reducing water consumption needed to cool devices in data centers. So let’s write concisely and to the point, without adding unnecessary details. Also, remember not to thank chatbots, no matter how polite it may seem. People living near data centers and struggling with water shortages will certainly be grateful for this.  

Additionally, it is worth thinking about our prompt before entering it and clicking Enter. By limiting the length of AI-based texts, we contribute to reducing the water demand of data centers. If we need a quick summary, we shouldn’t ask the AI ​​to generate a 10-page report only to have it shorten it. This wastes server processing power.

Ethical use of AI also involves using it only when absolutely necessary. Certain things, like recipes or movie trivia, are easy to find online. Google uses much less water than ChatGPT. While it may take us a minute or two longer to find information, it’s worth remembering that this saves water, which is especially important in times of drought.  

Another important element of ethical AI use is adapting models to specific needs. Smaller and more efficient versions of mini or nano models will perform much better in certain situations. Complex and advanced language models require significantly more energy to process a query. For simple tasks, such as correcting grammar or summarizing, we should choose simpler and more lightweight tools.

AI in a Company

The use of AI is becoming increasingly popular in companies as well. Artificial intelligence-based tools often make our work faster and more efficient. However, we must recognize that no matter how good a model is, it will not replace a human in the same position. In terms of ethics, one of the most frequently raised issues is the issue of firing employees and replacing them with AI. This is not only unethical but also unprofitable in the long run. Many employers have already learned this, returning to a traditional human workforce within just a few months of attempting to replace them with machines – as Elon Musk did in 2022.  

One of the best practices is to rely on humans rather than technology. Artificial intelligence should act as a tool that helps us in our daily lives, both at home and at work. It shouldn’t, however, disrupt our livelihoods. AI will be our ally when we implement guidelines for company operations and clearly establish boundaries – humans should be supervisors, not competitors to robots.

How Can We Best Address the Issue of Ethical AI Use in our Business? 

Implement an internal code and policy for ethical AI use:

Before you begin training, you must have a written legal and ethical framework. Prohibit the introduction of confidential company data, customer data (GDPR), or source code into public AI models unless you are certain they will not be used to train external models. This workflow regulation protects customer and employee privacy and builds trust. Furthermore, respect copyrights. Train employees to verify that AI-generated text or graphics do not infringe on other creators’ intellectual property.

Develop modular training in ethical prompting and verification:

Training should be practical and grounded in the realities of specific departments. Teach employees that, at this point, there’s no such thing as trustworthy artificial intelligence. AI sometimes invents facts that don’t exist and can perpetuate biases. Therefore, critical thinking is essential. A human should always verify AI results. Furthermore, it’s worth introducing a requirement to label content (e.g., with disclaimers) if it was entirely or largely generated by AI – especially in external communications. Such transparency is highly valued by recipients, especially now, when it’s sometimes impossible to distinguish between real photos and generated images.  

Ensure responsible and fair management: 

Promote an approach where AI only performs repetitive preparatory work, while humans handle final evaluation, creativity, monitoring, and supervision. AI can be a part of company development, but it should not replace humans. Show employees that AI is there to support them, not replace them. Invest in reskilling, which allows employees to work more efficiently with AI. This will ensure that employees don’t fear technological advancements and automation, but embrace them. This is a fair approach to the hard work employees put in.  

Stay up to date with the law: Training should include compliance with regulations such as the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). This will make education and familiarizing employees with new legislation much faster and more effective.  

Using AI Ethically

The ethical challenges of AI are an important consideration at this time. Building public trust requires more than cheerful, smiling faces on colorful posters assuring us that a company always takes ethical considerations and complies with regulations.  

An AI system is meant to be a resource, so let’s treat it as an extra hand that will do everything it can to find the answer for us, not as an employee who will do the work for us. We shouldn’t rely on it at every turn, but only when necessary. AI works well in crisis situations when something is too difficult for us to understand. However, there are many situations where we can do without it at little or no cost.

An ethical approach to using AI recognizes that transparency builds trust. The potential of AI is enormous. However, if it is not properly monitored, it can lead to abuses. We must remember that we are responsible for the consequences of our mistakes, such as the processing of personal data by the model into which we have introduced it, and therefore the violation of consumer privacy. To avoid this, we should be guided by the principle that consumers should have the opportunity to speak with a human who can take responsibility for the decisions made by the company, not with a machine. Only through ethical actions can we build trust among consumers. 

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