How businesses can responsibly use AI, according to experts

From managing organizational reputation to talent, companies can use AI in a number of ways. But this should be coupled with a reality check.

CEBU, Philippines – How can the corporate world ride on the wave of artificial intelligence?

With the unprecedented rise of AI today, many industries are looking to take advantage of AI tools to grow their business. However, numerous studies have also shown the risks these technologies pose.

This is what experts addressed during AI in Motion: Governance and Leadership, the second briefing of the Rappler+ exclusive Changemakers Series, organized by Rappler and data forensics group Nerve on August 9.

Managing your company’s reputation

Nerve data science lead Patrisha Estrada shared one way for corporate businesses to use AI: for reputation management.

Estrada highlighted the role of AI technology in enhancing one’s services, in communicating its message, and in dealing with audience perception – factors that shape a company’s reputation.

One example she gave is when companies do market research, particularly when analyzing online conversations and survey data.

“Usually, when market research is not using AI yet, what do you do? You target one by one manually. You have to read the conversations manually. But that takes a lot of time,” Estrada pointed out.

“So with AI now, you can do that very quickly…. You also get to see the overlaps of those narratives…. It tries to show you patterns that are invisible to the human eye.”

Estrada cited the Rappler tool Synth, formerly known as aiDialogue, a virtual consultation forum that collects qualitative insights from the public regarding proposed policies and automates the analysis of gathered information.

Analyzing video content and coming up with data-driven strategies are also other ways for companies to leverage AI, added Estrada.

Recruiting and managing talent

Another benefit of AI tools for corporate businesses is streamlining the process of recruiting, managing, and retaining staff.

In his session, JY Consultancy and Ventures founder and The Apprentice Asia winner Jonathan Yabut elaborated best practices and use cases for companies to use AI for talent management.

Yabut emphasized on the importance for companies to ride on the AI wave so businesses – and even jobseekers – won’t get left behind.

“For now, AI won’t be able to fully replace you. But someone who knows how to use AI, probably will,” he said. [READ: These industries are leading the AI revolution. Are you in one of them?]

But first, a reality check

For Gemma Mendoza, Rappler head of digital services and lead researcher on disinformation, no one is spared from the risks and harms of AI, especially businesses.

Since the rise of popular AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Midjourney, as well as Google’s Search Generative Experience, many have sounded the alarm over their dubious outputs, which mostly come from internet content – a known cesspool of disinformation, hate speech, and other negative content.

Some AI tools have also upped the stakes leading to the proliferation of deepfakes, which have not spared even the country’s President.

To make things worse, deepfake detection tools are having a hard time keeping up due to them being inapplicable for internet scale. “Each video actually needs to be reviewed one by one and evaluated one by one,” Mendoza noted. [READ: From disinformation beneficiary to target: Marcos battles deepfakes]

These tendencies, said Mendoza, expose businesses that are not conscious about AI harms to reputational and legal risks. They also lead to the loss of customer trust.

“Ultimately, if we are the company that deploys the AI, we are accountable,” she noted.

Guardrails needed

For companies to effectively reap the benefits of AI and mitigate harm, guardrails must be in place.

For one, companies using AI tools must be open to their audiences about using them.

“It needs to be transparent…. We are open to our audience [that] we’re using AI…. There needs to be clear labels in effect,” Mendoza explained.

Mendoza also urged businesses for a prudent approach to AI use, emphasizing the importance of human presence and judgment in every step of the process. [READ: Rappler guidelines on artificial intelligence]

“The bottom line is… as companies, the way to really mitigate risks… making sure that innovation is still within the corporate values… is to be well aware of where the possible problems might come up,” Mendoza said.

For Estrada, responsible use should be treated by businesses as a mindset.

“Responsible use isn’t necessarily something that limits AI’s potential. And it’s not something that will avoid it altogether,” Estrada said. “In fact, responsible use is a mindset that we can have so that we could harness AI’s capabilities responsibly as we try to use it to stretch the limits of what we and our organizations can do.” 

Yabut also pointed out that AI is not inherently bad — it depends on how people use it.

“ I’d like to think that…it is overall good for many of us. The issue now is execution. You don’t blame sugar [for causing] diabetes. You blame people who abuse the consumption of sugar in the same line.” – Rappler.com

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