There’s no denying that artificial intelligence (AI) has been at the center of the cultural conversation in the past few years. AI has been around for decades, but the release of ChatGPT to the public in late 2022 unleashed a tidal wave of new excitement and questions about this technology’s place in our lives.

Apart from worries over how these tools might replace humans in the workforce, concerns over AI and data privacy are at the forefront of the conversation. After all, these machines can (sort of) think for themselves, and we’re still learning how to navigate our relationship with them. So how do we quell our fears and find an appropriate baseline for data protection with AI?

These are serious questions in need of solid answers. But, as with any new tech, the reality is rarely as frightening as our worst fears. Let’s look at some of the most formidable AI privacy concerns and steps you can take to protect yourself and your business.

AI 101

Before we get into the hot topics and trends in AI, it may help to cover the basics of this rapidly evolving technology. Artificial intelligence is designed to mimic human intelligence and thought processes. It can even exceed the speed and power of human thought to make people more productive.

To achieve this, AI relies on various supporting technologies, some of which are:

• Machine learning: This is the foundational technology that allows AI to “think for itself.” It uses complex algorithms and vast amounts of data to learn patterns, predict outcomes, and modify its responses to new inputs. In more advanced models, AI may use deep learning, which more closely mimics the layered neural networks of the human brain.
• Natural language processing (NLP) and generation: These technologies allow AI to process human language and generate responses that imitate the semantics and patterns of speech. NLP forms the backbone of technologies like ChatGPT or Rev’s AI-driven transcription.
• Computer vision: This allows AI-powered robots to “see” the world more like humans do. Self-driving cars and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) require highly advanced, complex, and interconnected technologies to process and respond to the physical environment.

Although the idea of AI has been around for millennia, the concept didn’t begin to come to fruition until the mid-20th century. Since then, AI technology has evolved in fits and starts, surging forward with the launch of advanced generative AI models in recent years.

AI Privacy Concerns

Fears about AI supplanting human jobs or taking over society have been common since the advent of the technology. Currently, however, many of these worries center on AI stealing information or misusing it in some way. Such unease is understandable, given the near-limitless capacity of modern AI for consuming and processing information. However, understanding the biggest privacy concerns can point developers and users of this technology toward the safest ways to utilize it.  

The following are some of the most prominent examples of AI privacy issues.

Unauthorized Access to Personal Information

AI is a powerhouse of data collection and analysis. Chatbots, voice assistants, facial recognition software, and many other AI-equipped tools are capable of gathering data at a volume and speed never before seen.

The sheer scope of AI’s abilities with data raises the question of who else can access that information. If companies can use AI to collect more information than ever, how do you know your data will be safe from prying eyes? According to one recent report, 77% of companies using this technology had some type of AI data breach in the past year.

Personal Data Usage

Beyond the question of access, there are worries over what AI applications will do with personal data once they have it. Numerous lawsuits have already been filed over copyright infringement, claiming that AI has used personal information or intellectual property without authorization.

There are also concerns about companies, governments, or other nefarious actors using AI to steal information for malicious purposes. Hackers have already used AI to hack into the systems of high-profile corporations and steal sensitive consumer data.

Predictive Harms

AI tools don’t require direct access to information to sniff it out. These technologies use predictive analytics to infer missing information based on limited data sets — and those inferences may be accurate or completely off base.

In one sense, this is concerning because you don’t want AI to guess personal information you haven’t explicitly shared. On a deeper level, inaccurate predictions can cause more far-reaching harm by perpetuating or even amplifying biases and stereotypes. Consider machine algorithms used in the justice system, for instance, which could assume criminal tendencies within certain groups based on biased data inputs.

Location Sharing

Many modern devices have access to location information, and newer AI-powered devices like autonomous vehicles rely on such data to operate safely. Chatbots may even request geolocation data as part of their customer service protocol, and AI assistants in various apps may have access to your location simply because you authorized the app to see it. AI has even been used to identify someone’s location based on a photo.

This naturally raises the question of whether AI systems can expose your location — a major privacy concern. Consumers are rightfully wary of sharing their location with devices and chatbots, as regulators work to sort out guidance on how such information can be used.

What Is the Future of AI and Privacy?

In the face of these concerns, the tools and best practices for ensuring AI data privacy will continue to evolve in response to new technological changes and advancements. Laws and regulations will expand or be refined, and AI developers will face pressure to build responsibly.

At the very least, the future data protection baselines for AI will involve more advanced forms of encryption and anonymization to create stronger barriers between individual user data and the computer's processing that information.

How to Stay Secure While Using AI

While AI developers bear the primary responsibility for addressing AI privacy concerns, that doesn’t mean users are without agency in securing their safety. There are several things individuals, companies, and employees can do to help prevent data privacy issues when using AI.

• Choose wisely: Don’t assume a business will use your data responsibly. Look for specific company policies to verify a business takes security seriously before opting in or providing information. some text
  • Rev’s VoiceHub, for instance, offers users a robust, clear explanation about how customers’ data is used to train our AI and who can access their personal information.
• Share cautiously: Even when clear policies are in place, it’s smart to be guarded about what you share. Don’t provide your full name, address, or financial information to a chatbot unless you are fully confident in the company’s security measures. Consider turning off chat history when using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to ensure previous conversations aren’t stored.
• Limit access: Individual users or employees should always limit access to their computers, mobile devices, and personal accounts for AI-based services. Companies must also take steps to encrypt data and prevent unauthorized users from accessing individual data used to train AI systems or produce content. some text
  • At Rev, for instance, human transcribers can only see user transcripts when they opt into our human transcription services, while support staff only have limited access to assist with customer support or debugging.
• Promote transparency: Any company that collects personal data — and especially those that rely on AI — should clearly explain how it will use and protect that information. Individual users can promote this transparency by asking for such policies and withholding their business from companies that don’t provide them.

How Rev Keeps Your Data Secure

These are only a few of the data privacy and ethical concerns surrounding AI in today’s technological landscape. And these worries are met with an equal buzz of excitement around the possibilities AI tools bring to the table.

Fortunately, many companies respect both the fear and the frenzy over AI. Rev is fully committed to making lives more productive with our AI-powered transcription and captioning software, but we’re equally dedicated to the privacy and security of our customers’ personal information.

When you transcribe with Rev, you can be confident that your data is protected with best-in-class privacy measures, including TLS data encryption, SOC 2 Type II compliance, and strict confidentiality. All transcripts are also sealed by mandatory non-disclosure agreements.

Learn more about how Rev keeps your data secure with VoiceHub.