Artificial intelligence is developing at a rapid pace. New features, use cases, and possibilities seem to emerge every day – and they probably do. Once a futuristic concept, AI has swiftly become a practical tool, seamlessly integrating into daily life and increasingly into the workplace. Global investment in AI is surging, with analysts projecting the market to surpass $600 billion by 2028. That’s a staggering figure.
Yet, this transformation raises critical questions for businesses, governments, and organizations: How do we safeguard company data in an AI-driven world? How can we ensure the reliability of data fueling AI systems? What’s the right balance between guiding AI use and avoiding excessive regulation? And how do we harness AI’s potential – especially generative AI – while maintaining control? The answers will shape our future.
Starting Point: Where AI Stands Today
AI solutions aren’t flawless – far from it. In many cases, generated texts or suggestions can be laughably off-base. The risks are real: generic output, fabricated “hallucinations,” or reliance on dubious sources. Yet, when wielded effectively, AI’s potential is nothing short of remarkable. Its benefits are already transformative, and the pace of progress is relentless.
AI generated image for Large Language Models (LLMs)
AI is already excelling in key areas:
- Summarization: Condensing texts, audio, and video—boosting efficiency in meetings and enhancing digital accessibility.
- Data Mastery: Organizing and analyzing vast datasets with ease.
- Translation: Delivering solid results (though proofreading remains a must!).
- Image Creation: Crafting visuals from precise prompts, mostly for illustrations.
- Cybersecurity: Spotting anomalies and thwarting threats like phishing, malware, or ransomware with automated countermeasures.
- Industrial Safety: Ensuring machine and workplace security, from chemical risks to physical hazards.
- Process Optimization: Streamlining operations for peak performance.
- Control Systems: Driving precision and reliability.
These strengths showcase AI’s growing power.
AI holds immense promise. As a cutting-edge, highly advanced technology, it demands careful and wise use – a responsibility we all share.
AI Responsibility
From our opinion piece “AI is everyone’s new subject”:
No new technology is inherently good or evil—it’s our application that defines its nature. Artificial intelligence is no exception. Much like the mastery of fire or the discovery of atomic energy, AI mirrors these historic leaps: it unlocks extraordinary possibilities while thrusting unprecedented challenges upon us. Technical, economic, legal, political, moral, and ethical dilemmas abound, often requiring us to build solutions from the ground up. This is our task, made all the more daunting by AI’s dizzying speed of evolution.
The complete Opinion Piece can be read here.
What Fuels Shadow AI?
AI is here to stay, simplifying life in countless ways- a fact employees have already embraced. A 2024 survey revealed that 52% of respondents use ChatGPT in their personal lives. Naturally, if AI proves effective at home, the leap to using it at work feels logical. When companies fail to provide a clear framework, employees turn to familiar tools like ChatGPT, bypassing official channels.
But what data are they feeding into ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or similar platforms? What sensitive documents or information might be exposed? This is a risk organizations cannot afford to ignore. It’s high time to tackle this head-on: establish clear, responsible guidelines, equip employees with secure AI tools that align with company goals, raise awareness of the dangers, and highlight the exciting opportunities AI brings.
Shadow IT
Shadow IT describes systems or tools employees use in a company without the IT department’s awareness or approval. This spans unauthorized software on work devices and personal gadgets brought into the workplace for job-related tasks. Familiar examples include WhatsApp for business communication and, increasingly, private AI tools like ChatGPT for work purposes. The concern isn’t just that few likely own commercial licenses – it’s that these habits jeopardize corporate data security, posing a silent but serious risk.
How Dissatisfaction with Business Tools Fuels Shadow IT
When employees dislike the company’s collaboration tools or find critical software – like AI solutions – missing, they often turn to their own alternatives. Frustrated, they may use personal tools or devices to boost efficiency, fully aware these aren’t IT-approved. To curb Shadow IT, companies must provide tailored collaboration and AI solutions that meet team needs.
How to Achieve This?
Engage Your Team: Gather feedback and involve employees in the process. While executives and IT leaders make final calls, teams or project groups can identify key solutions and use cases.
Define Your Vision: Map out a cohesive communication and collaboration strategy before rolling out tools piecemeal. This prevents Shadow AI, Shadow IT, and tool sprawl.
Invest in Training: Equip employees with training to master new software, including AI prompting skills, while emphasizing data protection and sovereignty.
Set Clear Rules: Enforce a strict policy – no unapproved software or AI use. Communicate transparently about AI usage, data security, and sovereignty. Opt for Large Language Models (LLMs) hosted on company hardware only.
Proactive steps like these keep Shadow IT at bay and empower secure, efficient work.
Proposed Solutions for Effective AI Adoption:
- Empower Employees: Teach teams to harness AI effectively, adhering to the GIGO principle – garbage in, garbage out. Quality prompts and high-caliber data are key to strong results.
- Organizational Accountability: Establish clear guidelines, ethical boundaries, and policies, alongside secure, user-friendly software.
- Prioritize Security: Ensure robust measures for data sovereignty and resilience, storing data safely (e.g., EU Cloud or on-premise).
- Kickstart Success: Offer tool planners and prompt lists to guide employees on which tools suit specific tasks.
- Sustainable AI Use: Limit data scope – block unrestricted internet searches – and focus on curated inputs.
- Training & Awareness: Educate teams on data protection and its importance.
- Confidential AI: Keep AI algorithms and Large Language Models (LLMs) within a secure, closed organizational ecosystem, using only rigorously vetted data.
- Integrate Locally: Embed LLMs into your own IT infrastructure to enhance control.
- Reduce Risks: Minimize unauthorized access, leaks, or breaches.
- Choose Wisely: Steer clear of proprietary software, opting instead for secure, auditable open-source AI and applications.
These steps pave the way for responsible, secure, and impactful AI use.
Confidential AI with VNClagoon
We understand the distinct hurdles businesses and public entities encounter when integrating AI. Our Confidential AI platform tackles these challenges directly, offering a smooth, secure, and scalable solution to revolutionize business communication and collaboration.
With VNClagoon AI, Confidential Computing, and the VNClagoon Software Stack, we provide tools to safeguard your critical data while enabling AI use in a closed, protected ecosystem. Trust is essential, and VNClagoon ensures clarity in how our AI functions, fostering confidence.
By embedding Confidential AI into our platform, your organization can align with industry standards and data privacy laws. Our fortified environment processes sensitive data with unmatched confidentiality, keeping you compliant and competitive.
Discover more about AI, Confidential AI, and Confidential Computing with VNClagoon here:
With all our products, the security of your data is of utmost importance. Keep important information where it belongs – within your company!
Detailed information about all VNClagoon products can be found on VNClagoon.com.
Or schedule a personal meeting to get detailed information about any VNClagoon product or the complete VNClagoon Enterprise Software Suite:
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About VNClagoon
Secure, Best in Class, Seamless Communication and Collaboration, Lowest TCO
The VNClagoon enterprise software suite offers a full range of integrated communication and collaboration products for messaging, real-time conferencing, community building, channels, email, groupware, task and project management, file handling and more for large organizations. Built upon state-of-the-art open source technology by thousands of world-class developers around the world, VNClagoon is a leading alternative to closed source and SaaS-only applications like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp, Dropbox and many others. Now it is possible for VNClagoon customers to gain greater control over their digital sovereignty as they communicate and collaborate more securely using one completely integrated suite of applications. For more information visit:
https://vnclagoon.com
About VNC – Virtual Network Consult AG, based in Switzerland, Germany and India, is a leading developer of open source-based enterprise applications and positions itself as an open and secure alternative to the established software giants. With VNClagoon, the organization with its global open source developer community has created an integrated product suite for enterprises, characterized by high security, state-of-the-art technology and low TCO. VNC’s customers include system integrators and telcos as well as large enterprises and institutions. Further information on https://vnclagoon.com, on Twitter @VNCbiz and on LinkedIn.
