AI Integration and a moral dilemma

I am a HR Manager but also oversee some aspects of IT - contract negotiation, management, supplier management etc, nothing directly techy. 

My manager (CEO), is very keen on integrating AI into the business after visiting a partners site and seeing how they have implemented AI into their business.

My boss is now keen to see where we can integrate it and has already set out to create dashboards detailing sales projections etc.

I am going to be involved in a meeting to discuss how AI can be integrated and in all honesty, i have so much bias and moral objection to it. 

Whilst i fully recognise that AI integration can be a game changer in some situations, just because we can, doesn't mean we should ? 

It feels a bit like we are going to do it because every one else is doing it, whereas, for me, the smart thing to do, would be to identify our gaps and see where AI could help solve a genuine business requirement. 

I have heard and read a lot about AI lately, as have we all, i have many concerns, to name a few:

- Sustainability, the water in pulls alone is totally unsustainable

- The land required to build these hideous data centres

- The security ! AI growing arms and legs all by itself and the worrying thing is there is no human written code to AI programmes, so when things go wrong, no one can 'patch it', you are fully reliant on the AI agents repairing what is damaged 

- The lack of control - we don't fully understand how these systems build themselves, where is the transparency and data ownership ?

- The impact it will have on peoples jobs

- The fact that increased reliance on AI is reducing peoples ability to critically think

I could go on, but i have to go into a meeting next week, be professional, and try not to think from a bias mindset. 

If any one has any really good pieces of literature for me to read on the subject or any good podcasts they know of, I'd be super grateful. I want to gain as much knowledge as i can before i head into my meeting next week 

Parents
  • Coming to this late, but since you're going ahead "as safely and responsibly as we can", here are a few controls HR can own from day one:

    • An inventory: which AI tools are already in use (including AI features inside software you already pay for), who uses them and with what data. Unofficial use is usually bigger than expected.
    • A one-page use policy: approved tools, what never goes in (personal data, client data, contracts), and human review for anything sent externally or used in decisions about people.
    • A DPIA screening before any use involving employee or customer personal data, with your data protection lead involved.
    • Short training by role rather than one generic session. Whoever builds the sales dashboards needs different guidance from someone drafting emails. If you operate in the EU, the AI Act also expects measures for staff AI literacy, so this covers that too.
    • One or two pilot use cases tied to a real problem, with a review date.

    That gives your concerns a constructive home: you're the one setting the guardrails, not the blocker.

Reply
  • Coming to this late, but since you're going ahead "as safely and responsibly as we can", here are a few controls HR can own from day one:

    • An inventory: which AI tools are already in use (including AI features inside software you already pay for), who uses them and with what data. Unofficial use is usually bigger than expected.
    • A one-page use policy: approved tools, what never goes in (personal data, client data, contracts), and human review for anything sent externally or used in decisions about people.
    • A DPIA screening before any use involving employee or customer personal data, with your data protection lead involved.
    • Short training by role rather than one generic session. Whoever builds the sales dashboards needs different guidance from someone drafting emails. If you operate in the EU, the AI Act also expects measures for staff AI literacy, so this covers that too.
    • One or two pilot use cases tied to a real problem, with a review date.

    That gives your concerns a constructive home: you're the one setting the guardrails, not the blocker.

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