Confidentiality v. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Both are possible when thought and care are put into the use of artificial intelligence tools.

HR professionals are increasingly using AI tools to assist with everyday activities like drafting emails and memos, preparing reports, and summarizing data. These tools improve efficiency and enhance communication. Risk is introduced when the message, information, or data is confidential – which is often the case for HR professionals working with employee or company information.

The distinction between public and private AI is critical for maintaining confidentiality, and HR professionals need to know which they’re using.  Public AI  is broadly accessible, often free or available with enhanced services for a premium. Examples include ChatGPT and Grammarly. Information put into these systems is not confidential; the system may use the information to learn and provide information to other users.  Proprietary or private AI  is owned, restricted, internal, or licensed to the employer. Some organizations build and deploy these internally. Other organizations license platforms like Microsoft Copilot for Enterprise with data isolation or Google Gemini for Workspace at the enterprise tier. Information entered into these systems has strict privacy controls.

At HR Works, we find that many of the HR professionals we work with are using public AI, either because their organization doesn’t offer a proprietary AI platform or because they utilize a variety of platforms, often depending on the task being performed and the platform’s skill at completing that task. Pausing to think about the level of privacy a platform offers  prior  to entering any information is the first step toward avoiding an inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information.

Sensitive information that should not be entered into public AI tools spans employee and company data. Employee names, employment terms (like salary), photos, biometric data, contact information, and health data are protected by a variety of laws and ethical considerations. Company financial information, strategic plans, intellectual property, and customer data could all be damaging to the organization if publicly disclosed. It is vital that this information is kept secure and not provided to any public AI tools.

For many HR professionals, "How?" is the next question. For more information, read the full article...