Generative AI in the Workplace: Managing Regulation and AI Risk Management

Generative AI is no longer just a hot trend, it’s the future of work for many enterprises. It’s a powerful driver of workplace transformation. As enterprises adopt AI to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve workflows, they must also navigate the complex challenges of information security, regulation, and integrating it into sophisticated enterprise content supply chains.

In this blog, we’ll highlight some interesting findings from a recent Acrolinx report. We’ll also explore strategies to help different industries embrace AI innovation while managing risks responsibly.

Breaking down generative AI in the workplace

Generative AI adoption is surging, with over 67% of survey respondents motivated to implement AI to enhance productivity. The excitement surrounding AI-driven innovation is still palpable, but it comes with an equally compelling need to address risks and their potential consequences.

Acrolinx recently surveyed a mix of Acrolinx Forbes Global 2000 customers from a variety of industries. The 162 respondents include Amazon, Broadcom, Autodesk, Sandvik, Rohde & Schwarz, ServiceNow, Nokia, Genetec, Cognizant, Cisco, NXP Semiconductors, Kone, Roche, Varian Medical Systems, Adobe, Philips, Infosys, Konica Minolta, Siemens, and other enterprises. The survey shed light on enterprise attitudes towards AI, uncovering:

• Motivations for AI adoption, such as improving efficiency and fostering creativity.
• Concerns about risk and regulations, including issues around information accuracy and misuse.

The survey was developed into a report aimed at helping enterprises find the balance between embracing AI’s transformative potential and managing its risks responsibly.

Employee thoughts on AI

While AI promises to enhance workplace productivity, 56.8% of employees view AI as risky, citing concerns like information security and accuracy. Job security is also a pressing issue, with 30% fearing job replacement due to AI technologies.

Interestingly, nearly 80% of respondents support creating a legal distinction between AI-generated and human-created content, emphasizing the demand for transparency in AI use. These statistics reveal a workforce eager to adopt AI but cautious about its ramifications.

Enterprise gen AI: Balancing innovation and regulation

Opinions on whether AI development should pause until regulations are in place are divided. While 37% support a pause, 32% oppose it, reflecting a landscape of uncertainty. This highlights the importance of proactive measures by enterprises, such as:

• Establishing rigorous data security protocols.
• Monitoring and mitigating AI bias.
• Prioritizing transparency in AI applications.

Until regulations catch up, companies can create internal guidelines to responsibly manage AI use and foster trust among employees. With guidelines in place, deploying AI guardrails such as content governance is a critical step to keep content generated by AI compliant with both organizational and industry standards. 

Handling AI and risk management in the future workplace

To navigate the complexities of generative AI, organizations must focus on risk management through:

Create internal AI policies

It’s important to have clear rules in place for how AI should be used within the company. These guidelines should cover areas like data handling, content standards, and ethical use. For instance, a policy could define how AI should help with content creation while making sure it matches the company’s tone and values. It can also outline how AI should be used for decision-making, so that it’s done transparently and responsibly. 

To keep policies up-to-date as AI technology changes, businesses should set up an AI governance team supported by a content governance software, like Acrolinx. Involving employees in the policy-making process can also make sure the rules are practical and cover all concerns.

Support AI literacy

It’s crucial that employees understand how AI works and how they can use it effectively in their roles. Training programs should teach not only the basics of AI but also how it applies to specific job functions. For example, content creators could learn how to use AI tools to improve writing, while marketing teams could focus on how AI helps in targeting customers. 

To keep up with rapid AI advancements, businesses can create ongoing learning programs and encourage employees to stay updated. Assigning “AI champions” in each department can also provide a go-to person for support and help employees feel more comfortable using AI.

Continue ongoing risk assessment

Because AI is constantly evolving, companies need to keep checking that their AI systems are still working correctly and staying within the rules. Regular assessments will help catch any risks, such as biases in AI decisions or data privacy issues. For example, companies can perform audits every few months to check if AI models are performing as expected and complying with ethical guidelines. 

Monitor the impact of AI on things like employee productivity and customer experience. It sounds easy, but it’s important to stay on top of changing regulations and use separate tools to audit your LLM and track how AI models are behaving in real-time, alerting the company to any problems early on.

Implement content governance guardrails

To avoid errors or biased content, companies must set up AI guardrails that audit the content LLMs are trained on, and catch errors or drift in output before content is published. Companies should also have a process to review AI-generated content for accuracy and alignment with company values before it’s published. 

For example, every AI-generated draft could go through human review to make sure it meets company standards and legal requirements, or you could deploy automated content governance with quality gates that can automatically flag content that may have issues, making it easier for teams to spot and fix potential problems before publication. Ongoing monitoring of AI content can also help ensure the system continues to perform well over time.

By prioritizing these strategies, companies can create a future workplace that integrates AI responsibly while addressing workforce concerns.

Building AI literacy with Acrolinx

Some employees feel uncertain about working with AI, especially when it involves learning new workflows or navigating technical complexities. Acrolinx simplifies this journey by offering intuitive, easy-to-use tools that empower employees to create high-quality content while gaining confidence in AI. 

By integrating seamlessly into popular platforms like Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, and Google Docs, Acrolinx provides real-time feedback on grammar, tone, clarity, and inclusivity. This allows employees to refine content as they write, turning every interaction into an opportunity to learn.

Acrolinx’s user-friendly interface ensures that technical and non-technical users alike can embrace AI without feeling overwhelmed. For technical writers, marketers, and compliance teams, this hands-on guidance builds trust in AI-powered workflows, fostering a culture of collaboration between humans and machines. 

Over time, employees develop a deeper understanding of how AI-assisted tools paired with content governance improves content quality and compliance, making them more confident in using these tools across their roles. In short, Acrolinx not only improves clarity, consistency, and compliance but also equips teams with the skills to thrive in an AI-driven workplace.

Reducing risk and increasing compliance with Acrolinx

Acrolinx plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance and minimizing risk in AI adoption. Its robust content governance capabilities help enterprises in various ways which we’ll outline in the following:

Eliminating non-compliant and non-inclusive terminology

Acrolinx helps eliminate non-compliant or non-inclusive terminology in AI-generated content. What does that mean? It means identifying and addressing language that may violate regulations, corporate guidelines, or inclusivity standards. By embedding AI guardrails, Acrolinx makes sure terminology adheres to established rules, such as avoiding outdated or potentially harmful expressions. This protects organizations from reputational damage, compliance breaches, and fosters an inclusive environment, aligning content with global diversity and inclusion standards​​.

Maintain content standards across regions and industries

Acrolinx makes sure your content complies with regional and industry-specific regulations by standardizing style, terminology, and tone. For example, financial services firms can align content with regulatory requirements such as the FCA’s Consumer Duty guidelines, delivering clear, audience-specific, and compliant communications across global markets​​.

Standardize LLM source content

With Acrolinx, you can easily set standards for what source content is used to train enterprise LLMs. This is critical for avoiding biased or non-compliant outputs. Acrolinx scans and scores content repositories, flagging areas that require improvement before they become part of an AI model. This ensures AI models are built on reliable, clear, and compliant data​​.

Building trust through content

Clear, accurate content builds trust among employees and customers. Acrolinx helps ensure that customer-facing and internal communications are consistent, free of errors, and meet readability standards. This fosters confidence in your brand, as customers can rely on your messaging to make informed decisions. Similarly, employees are empowered to communicate effectively, reflecting the organization’s credibility and professionalism​​.

Monitoring the quality of AI-generated content

Acrolinx continuously monitors the quality of LLM-generated output, making sure it remains aligned with your corporate standards over time. By using advanced analytics and quality gates, organizations can track content performance and make iterative improvements, safeguarding compliance and maintaining brand integrity. This proactive approach prevents errors from scaling, ensuring content always meets the highest standards​​.

Securing data privacy and customer trust

Data privacy is a major concern for enterprises adopting generative AI, especially when sensitive information is involved. Acrolinx mitigates this risk by providing robust content governance that ensures all content, whether human- or AI-generated, complies with industry and organizational standards. By checking content for accuracy, inclusivity, and consistency, Acrolinx eliminates potential communication risks before publication.

This is particularly valuable in industries like financial services, life sciences, and manufacturing, where regulations demand strict oversight of all communications. Acrolinx makes sure that private data and intellectual property remain secure while helping enterprises to maintain ethical AI writing practices. By acting as a safeguard for AI-generated content, Acrolinx fosters trust among employees and stakeholders, ensuring AI is used responsibly across the organization.

Acrolinx for a successful future of enterprise generative AI

As generative AI becomes a cornerstone of modern enterprises, its integration must be managed responsibly. By adopting tools like Acrolinx, organizations can balance creativity with compliance, mitigate risks, and build trust with employees and customers alike with clear, consistent, and compliant content.

What challenges does your team face in adopting AI responsibly? Get in touch with us to learn how we can help you navigate this transformation with confidence. Want to read the entire report? Download it via the banner below!