The AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has gotten attention recently for its ability to produce human-like, conversational text and communication based on user inputs. Since the technology is readily accessible—you need nothing more than a computer and internet connection—many employers are now looking for ways to incorporate this technology into their organizations to enhance workflows, streamline operations and improve customer experience.
- Customer support—AI chatbots can provide information and answer customer questions quickly and effectively, allowing customer support employees to focus on more important or nuanced tasks. They may also provide internal support for employees by answering questions they may have about benefits and other HR-related topics.
- Sales—AI technology can be used to generate sales leads, qualify prospects and guide customers through the purchase process.
- Recruitment—Employers can automate many aspects of the recruitment process, such as generating job descriptions and evaluating resumes to find qualified applicants, allowing HR teams to save time and resources.
- Marketing—Tools like ChatGPT can produce usable written documents on a range of subjects. Employers can leverage this technology to create and improve their marketing efforts, including copy and content generation, search engine optimization, keyword search data and ad content optimization.
- Software development—AI technology can write and correct basic software code to help organizations build websites, develop apps and fix software bugs. This enables individuals without computer programming knowledge or experience to generate code.
- Errors & Outdated Information—Technology like ChatGPT creates the impression that it can do more or is more reliable than it is. AI’s knowledge is limited since it’s based only on the information used to train it. Therefore, the information AI tools provide users may be low quality or outdated, or it may contain errors. As a result, employers cannot be certain that the information this technology provides or what it produces is accurate. In some cases, AI-generated errors can be costly, subjecting organizations to government audits, fines and penalties. Employers would be wise to verify the information produced by AI tools before using it.
- Technological Limitations—AI models like ChatGPT require extensive training and fine-tuning to perform at levels employers need to be reliable and effective. It’s currently unclear whether ChatGPT and other AI chatbots can accurately assess the information it provides to users; thus, employers need to be cautious about using AI tools for important or consequential matters. While this technology can be a valuable resource to prepare businesses or employment-related documents and streamline processes, the information produced by AI tools should only be considered a starting point. Employers will likely still need human oversight to review information and content created by AI to evaluate its accuracy before it’s used.
- Legal Considerations—Additionally, this technology can create potential legal and privacy issues employers must consider. AI-generated content can violate copyright laws and create privacy issues for organizations. For example, the conversations employees have with AI chatbots may be reviewed by AI trainers, inadvertently disclosing sensitive and confidential business information and trade secrets to third parties. This could potentially expose employers to legal risks under privacy laws. Before using AI technology, employers should consider reviewing and updating their confidentiality and trade secret policies to ensure they cover third-party AI tools. Organizations can also train employees on potential copyright and privacy issues or restrict access to AI tools to reduce legal risks.
AI tools like ChatGPT have the potential to change nearly every aspect of employees’ work and increase organizational efficiency. This technology is relatively new, and there’s still much uncertainty surrounding it; however, it will likely continue to improve and become more reliable over time. As such, savvy employers will closely monitor AI technology’s developments and the potential issues surrounding them.