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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic lately\u2014even though AI, machine learning, and large language models are nothing new. Many companies, ours included, have been developing, adapting, and adopting these technologies\u00a0for decades<\/a>.<\/p>\n What\u00a0is<\/em>\u00a0new is the attention the topic has received in conversations since the game-changing rollout of ChatGPT. To be sure, the advent of generative AI has leveled the playing field and made artificial intelligence much more accessible. And it is accelerating AI\u2019s adoption in fields where it previously would have been out of reach. Gen AI can produce initial drafts of documents, automate routine tasks, draw from vast amounts of data to improve decision-making, and free up people\u2019s time for a better work-life balance.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, because there are not yet enough generally agreed-upon ethical guardrails around gen AI, there have been controversies surrounding its use. That includes the collection of personal and copyrighted data from online sources to build large language models (LLMs). To retain the public\u2019s trust, we must all take a firm, ethical stand. We must insist that the same ethics that have long governed the practice of law, tax & accounting and other knowledge-industry professions must inform and inspire the professional use of AI. We must adhere to the time-honored practice of client privilege and non-disclosure of the sensitive information that surfaces while doing business with our customers and business partners.<\/p>\n Our company is making the following AI pledge to all our current and potential customers:\u00a0Your confidential information will not become output for a third party. That means we won\u2019t\u00a0allow\u00a0a customer\u2019s data to be used to\u00a0train a third-party\u00a0LLM.\u00a0And we call on other companies to make a similar commitment.<\/p>\n However, given the rising ubiquity of professional-grade AI, the time has come to make this a public discussion.<\/p>\n After all, it is companies like Thomson Reuters and our community of tech peers that have invested in and developed AI. It\u2019s our collective responsibility to ensure that this powerful technology\u2014with its potential impact on nearly all facets of society, culture and the economy\u2014is developed and used responsibly.\u00a0The choices we make now will determine the AI future.<\/p>\n The good news is that people in the knowledge professions tend to be overwhelmingly positive about the implications of AI. And they\u2019re optimistic about the potential for AI to transform the way they do their jobs.<\/p>\n And yet, for all the transformative power of technology, it can\u2019t fundamentally change human nature. There will always be bad actors who want to wield new technology in a manner that may not respect the intellectual property or data privacy rights of customers or the public.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we continually need the rule of law and responsible, informed public policies to create guardrails. And it\u2019s also why developers of the technology must self-govern when it comes to AI. AI can be a force for good. It can free humans from tedium to be their best professional selves. But as we move forward into the AI age, let\u2019s be sure to keep a healthy, ethical\u00a0human\u00a0<\/em>perspective on what even the most powerful technologies can and can\u2019t do\u2014or at least shouldn\u2019t do.<\/p>\n The future of AI is in our hands. It\u2019s humans who have designed this technology to serve us. And in the end, who do people want to interact with? To do business with?<\/p>\n It\u2019s other people. And they deserve our full respect.<\/p>\n The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of\u00a0<\/em>Fortune.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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In this fast-emerging age of AI, there is a social imperative to insist upon the responsible use of the technology. And that social imperative\u00a0is very much the\u00a0business\u00a0<\/em>imperativeof responsible AI.\u00a0For example, when Apple recently announced it would incorporate ChatGPT into the iPhone, it was good to hear Apple\u2019s commitment that a user\u2019s queries would remain private.<\/p>\nReasons for optimism, with a caveat<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The business imperative of responsible AI begins with ethics. It means protecting customer and client information.\u00a0That\u2019s why we\u2019re making our pledge today.<\/p>\nMore must-read\u00a0commentary\u00a0published by\u00a0Fortune<\/em>:<\/h2>\n
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