Nearly four in ten UK councils allow their staff to use AI tools without a responsible use policy, according to new research.
Freedom of information requests by digital adoption company WalkMe found that only a quarter have policies on using AI in the workplace.
Similarly, while 19% are in the process of developing policies, 39% currently allow employees to use technology without having any protections in place.
Ofir Hatsor, senior vice president of EMEA at WalkMe, said the use of generative AI tools among local authorities could help improve productivity and provide better services. However, the lack of adequate safeguards in many councils should be a cause for serious concern.
“Without policies in place, councils cannot understand how their employees use AI, much less control it. This lack of understanding means that employees could be exposing themselves, citizens and the council itself to unintended consequences: from “from shame to access to confidential data. at risk.”
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have previously been banned by a number of private companies due to concerns about data protection and the risk of exposing sensitive corporate information.
Last year, Amazon, Apple and a number of organizations banned chatbot use for staff.
So far, it seems, some councils have gotten away with it, with only one having to take action against an employee for violating its AI use policy.
Similarly, only one council has had a potential security incident caused by the use of AI (in this case, a data breach). On that occasion, the council in question carried out extensive research into the use of AI and policy development.
The study found that the reason for the lack of AI policies appears to be partly due to financial constraints. In its FoI, WalkMe found that only three councils said they had a dedicated budget to implement generative AI tools or train employees.
“It is not too late for organizations to act. Usage policies must accept that employees will want to use generative AI, provide guidelines on its safe and effective use, and demonstrate the consequences if not followed. This will go a long way to educating and empower workers,” Hatsor said.
“Beyond policy, councils and businesses should have funding to invest in approaches to help address the rapid rise of generative AI or any other technology.”
In September 2023, the London Office for Technology and Innovation (LOTI), a coalition of London boroughs, published guidance on how councils should use AI.
It highlighted risks related to trust and transparency, including issues related to hallucinations, along with ethics and bias in models, and data privacy.
Councils are not the only ones allowing staff to use AI without a proper policy, and this is leading to some risky behaviour.
A recent study from Veritas found that while half of UK office workers use generative AI at least once a week, 44% are not offered any guidance.
This, the firm said, could lead to lost opportunities, but also violations of data privacy regulations.
