It feels like everyone is talking about AI these days, as several industries, from marketing and media to banking and finance to legal services, embrace its exciting potential. Yet while artificial intelligence is not in itself a new concept, widely available technologies like ChatGPT, DALL-E 2, and Google’s Gemini are driving the current boom as they optimise productivity and produce creative assets at unprecedented speeds. Yet, with every new technology comes new ethical, philosophical and legal issues. Will AI replace your job, or will the use of it just become another important skill to learn as your career advances? What about AI’s privacy and security issues?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an umbrella term for a combination of machine learning, predictive analytics, language processing and robotics. To put it simply, it’s a sub-variety of computer science that involves creating programs that perform tasks traditionally carried out by humans. AI as we know it has existed since the ‘Turing test’ in the 1950s, and the term has been in public usage for a while, but recent improvements in data storage, algorithms and computing power have given the machines a larger volume of material to work with than ever before.
While new technological advancements always bring privacy considerations, AI’s privacy concerns stem largely from the way it gathers data. AI needs privacy-related ethics to avoid impinging on the rights of the public, and those who use AI need to take action to protect their own privacy.
Understanding AI Data Collection
AI relies on massive sets of data to function. It has access to higher amounts than ever before, with an estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes generated worldwide on a daily basis. AI and big data have an interrelated relationship, with big data providing AI’s supply and AI being the starkest example of big data’s full potential.
Sources of AI data
Structured data: This information comes from databases, CRM systems, spreadsheets and other locations where data is well-organised and clearly labelled.
Unstructured data: This refers to less-defined and often less formalised kinds of data such as social media posts, photos and emails.
Semi-structured data: This data, which includes emails and XML files, isn’t in tabular format but does separate the different elements with tags and other markers.
Streaming data: From social media streams to stock price feeds, this category is data generated in real time.
Data collection
AI tools collect data through two methods. Direct collection is when the system is programmed to collect data through direct methods like online forms and surveys. Indirect collection draws on data harvested from platforms and services, e.g. a social media user’s “likes”.
AI analytics
There are three analytics processes that AI programs go through when converting raw data into readable text or creative assets: cleaning, processing and analysing. Cleaning involves removing errors, inaccuracies and duplicate data. Processing converts the clean data into a suitable format for analysis while analysing applies techniques and algorithms in order to extract insights.
Considering this technique, it’s probably not surprising that AI privacy concerns are an issue for many.
Privacy and Security Risks with Artificial Intelligence
Here are some of the most prevalent of AI’s privacy and security issues:
Exposure of sensitive information
AI’s methods of harvesting and collecting data can inadvertently expose personal information, which is why ‘informational privacy’ is one of its biggest safety concerns. Scammers and criminals can use AI algorithms to identify weak links in supply chains or lure users into sharing personal information through emails or text messages. Misconfigured settings or weak access controls can lead to AI-driven attacks on sensitive data.
Predictive harm
AI tools can sometimes determine personal information from fairly innocent-seeming data, a term known as “predictive harm.” AI algorithms and machine learning models can potentially identify data such as a user’s health status or sexual orientation, which can lead to feelings of privacy violation, stigmatisation, or discrimination.
Autonomy harms
This is when information the AI gathers is used to manipulate an individual’s behaviour without their knowledge. AI autonomy harms can result in biased recommendations and limited choices based on the information the AI has inferred.
Big tech companies
Big tech companies like Meta and Amazon have access to more data now than at any time period in history. This provides them with extraordinary new levels of power to influence consumer spending and the global economy. However, this needs to be balanced with AI privacy ethics to ensure the data they collect and the power they hold is used responsibly.
Keeping Your Privacy and Security Safe with AI
Protecting your personal information in the age of AI involves various measures. Below are some steps you can take to protect and reduce your own digital footprint, while others are broader social reforms. Some areas to consider when it comes to AI privacy and security include:
Regulation
In the age of AI privacy concerns, the role of regulators has become a more crucial one. Regulation can limit the kinds of tools companies use and force them to be transparent about their data practices, none of which has to stifle tech innovation.
Guidelines and procedures
Some organisations like UNESCO have formulated ethical guidelines for AI, laying out ethical frameworks and actionable policies for AI. These approaches focus on prioritising human rights and protecting privacy.
Privacy-focused AI development
Privacy by design means integrating privacy considerations into the development of the technology itself. This can include tools like strong access controls and data measures as well as data minimisation: the act of AI developers only collecting as much data as is necessary for the task at hand.
Emerging technologies
Emerging technologies can be useful for addressing AI privacy concerns. Two prominent examples include Federated Learning, which trains AI across different devices and servers without exchanging samples, and Homomorphic Encryption, which allows AI to work with data without needing to decrypt it.
Checking privacy policies
Before you use an AI generator, check the privacy policy. All advanced and reputable language learning models (LLMs) should outline what kind of information they require and how they use it.
Opting out of information-sharing
You can still use AI programs like ChatGPT and Google Gemini without allowing them to use your data for training purposes.
VPNs
VPNs add another level of privacy to your online browsing and give you control over the trail of data (or digital footprint) you leave behind. VPNs offer end-to-end encryption that lets you browse the web privately without crawlers or surveillance software accessing your data.
Parental supervision
Children and young people can be particularly at risk of oversharing and disinformation when they come into contact with LLMs. To protect your children’s privacy, restrict, monitor or supervise their exposure to AI technology.
A Human-Centred Approach at Anchor Digital
As a hybrid creative marketing agency, Anchor recognises the creative potential of AI and its benefits for your business. We also understand that no matter what new advancements in technology bring, a human-centred approach is always the best one. For us, AI is another tool in our toolbox, not a replacement for genuine human creativity, innovation and solutions.
While we can improve your rankings on Google, our content marketing services are designed with people in mind, not bots. Instead of a checklist of SEO-friendly steps, we focus on providing useful information and answers to anyone who comes across your webpage. Our graphic design services are provided in-house by our skilled designers, and we work in close partnership with purpose-driven businesses like yours to accurately reflect your brand story and identity.
At Anchor, we embrace new developments in technology but never lose sight of the best approach: the human-centred approach. If you’d like to find out more, drop us a line.
