Chatbots, such as ChatGPT, are artificial intelligence programs that provide written responses to questions. Chatbots are also used to assist with tasks like drafting emails, essays, and codes. Chatbots like ChatGPT have become increasingly popular and have made a huge impact on how businesses operate and interact with customers.
While these AI programs are useful to many businesses, they do not always generate accurate responses to questions. Users have noticed that Chatbots sometimes provide incomplete or incorrect answers and even make up answers without being prompted. In the AI industry, these are called hallucinations.
Businesses that use ChatGPT software should be aware of these problems. While inaccuracies and hallucinations are major problems with the software, they are not the only problems that business owners and HR professionals should be on the lookout for.
Another major problem with Chatbots is bias. According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, ChatGPT has “shortcomings around bias.” Without oversight, ChatGPT and other chatbots may provide responses that perpetuate racism and other forms of discrimination. This occurs because Chatbots are AI algorithms created by people with their own biases and Chatbots can pull from resources that may be biased.
If you’re using Chatbots in the operations of your business, you should:
Make sure that all employees understand unconscious bias and how to identify it;
Audit the chatbot responses for bias; and
Implement anti-bias standards for questions that are known to result in biased answers
Chatbots often provide inaccurate answers to questions posed by users. This problem is created because Chatbots do not explain how the program articulates a response, therefore, the user has no manner of knowing that these answers are incorrect. In the AI industry, this is called the “black box.” The black box is the AI decision-making process that users don’t understand. The only way to know when the chatbot has made an error is if the user already knows the answer to the question asked.
To safeguard against inaccuracies, users of ChatGPT and other chatbots should:
Research the chatbot’s capabilities and best uses;
Set clear parameters for what types of tasks chatbots can be used for;
Closely monitor the chatbot and
Not use chatbots for advanced research and compliance questions.
Other concerns regarding chatbot usage are cybersecurity and privacy.
Chatbots have coding capabilities that may attract hackers. If a chatbot is hacked on an employer’s computer system, it can lead to large security breaches and liabilities for employers.
ChatGPT’s privacy policy specifically states that ChatGPT collects personal information, such as the user’s name, contact information, content included in queries, the user’s location and IP address.
Employers must be vigilant in order to safeguard the cybersecurity of their business and employee privacy. Employers should consult with their business’ IT company to ensure that the company is well protected. Employers should also implement encryption, authentication and other security systems to prevent these security breaches from occurring.
Lastly, user error is a large problem with chatbots. Many users do not know how to use the chatbots. Employees who use chatbots will need to understand how these tools work and what their limitations are.
If a business is using chatbots, employers should provide employees with training on how chatbots work and all of the shortcomings of these AI systems.
If you have any questions, please reach out to PMP.