How to ensure AI is working for–not against–you
AI is a prominent force across the globe. Its reach has spread far beyond the tech industry and into our daily lives. The promise of augmenting teams with added efficiency, rapid data analysis to empower better decision making, and the automation of manual tasks have made the adoption of this technology a top priority. To keep the competitive edge, companies are rapidly weaving AI into their products, operations, customer-centric workflows, go-to-market strategies, and more.
Whether through in-house development or making strategic partnerships with AI-powered vendors, businesses have ramped up their AI strategies dramatically recently. But, this opens up an important question: how do you responsibly apply this technology?
It is clear that, while AI can offer a plethora of advantages, hastiness in how you approach its integration can backfire and open up your organization to risk. This is why informed, intentional decisions are at the heart of responsible AI adoption. To deliver on this, businesses need to be asking the right questions at the right time — no matter what scale they’re integrating the technology.
To help empower businesses to make responsible decisions when integrating AI, we break down the four main questions every business leader — and especially every CISO — should be asking themselves.
Who really owns and controls the data?
Whether you plan to bring third-party AI vendors into your organization or build the system internally, ask yourself:
- Is my data used for training models?
- How is my data separated from that of other users or companies?
- Who has access to the data—including third parties?
Why it matters:
Data isn’t just fuel for your AI — it’s also your biggest risk if it’s mismanaged. If your data is improperly accessed, used for unauthorized purposes, or not adequately separated from other organizations, it could introduce significant data security issues that can be costly and time intensive to recover from.
Understanding your risks, while documenting the controls in place to mitigate them, will help your business' data stay secure. Having an AI data security protocol in place positions you to be able to effectively monitor your information and adapt as the technology evolves.
Can we see (and change) what the AI is doing?
Transparency isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a real, tangible foundation you build with your stakeholders — whether it be employees or customers. Businesses don’t operate in vacuums, but instead engage third-parties across functions and processes to fill in gaps and access expertise or technology they don’t have in-house. Whether your vendors invest in AI or you’re building in-house, it’s critically important to understand how this technology will interact with your business and your data. You must ask the questions:
- How and where is AI being utilized for my business?
- Do you have options to review, approve, or opt out of AI outputs?
Why it matters:
Clear visibility into the role AI is playing internally or in the vendors engaging with your business creates the building blocks of transparency. As AI continues to evolve, keeping a keen eye on how your vendors are applying the technology is just as important as how you’re integrating it in-house. This transparent, end-to-end view helps you stay in control, which will become increasingly important as regulations surrounding AI issues continue to evolve.
Are security & compliance actually baked in?
No matter how you’re accessing AI, businesses need to understand the systems set in place from a security and compliance perspective. It’s not enough to take vague security promises at face value. Businesses need to dig into the details and ask the following questions:
- Does the AI meet international standards (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST)?
- What controls are in place for privacy, security, and auditability?
- How is risk monitored after deployment?
Why it matters:
Since we’ve seen how powerful AI can be (and how it can positively impact your business quickly) there is a temptation to move fast when integrating the technology into your organization. Security must be a core part of your deployment, never an afterthought or something that’s overlooked in the spirit of speed. Data leaks, compliance gaps, and security vulnerabilities can lead to a major breach event, negating the benefits of the technology in the first place. Ensuring that security and compliance are deeply embedded into every step of your processes will create the groundwork needed to be successful in integrating AI into your operations.
What happens when things go wrong?
Whenever emerging and fast growing technologies are rapidly adopted, there are always potential risks introduced that need to be assessed. Asking the questions:
- Is there an AI policy in place?
- Do they have a security response plan that takes AI into account?
- What guardrails are established to handle our data when AI is enabled?
Why it matters:
As we’ve talked about, there are things you can do to be informed on how vendors are using your data, how AI is being used to support your business, and what security protocols are in place to protect your information. However, things happen and, even with the best protocols, issues can still arise. This is why it’s important to build and understand the contingency and response plans so your team can handle and resolve issues quickly. In today’s digital-first world, it may not be realistic to say issues will never arise. However, it is realistic to have clear plans and processes in place to identify and manage issues before they can have a dramatic, long-lasting impact.
How Mural approaches responsible AI
At Mural, we believe that responsible AI development is non-negotiable. When it comes to data usage, we are clear: Your data is your data. It is never used to train models or shared with others, and strict, logical separation ensures your data remains isolated from that of other customers. Here are some other ways we stand out:
- Keep humans in the loop: Mural believes knowledge work should be guided by people, with AI used to enhance human abilities and creativity rather than replace them. Humans should always have the choice about how and when to delegate tasks or decisions to AI, ensuring that it serves human-defined goals.
- Create a safe collaboration space: Mural prioritizes inclusion, trust, and psychological safety as foundations for effective teamwork. Mural is committed to preventing AI from reflecting or amplifying unfair bias by implementing fairness, accuracy, reliability, and validity testing. This approach aims to help AI systems support and produce diverse and inclusive outcomes.
- Transparency and explainability: Mural strives to provide clear, meaningful, and context-appropriate information about its AI systems to promote stakeholder understanding. This includes making it clear when users are interacting with AI and providing understandable explanations for AI outcomes, so those affected can make sense of the results.
- Security and trust: Mural designs its AI systems to be secure and reliable throughout their entire lifecycle, functioning appropriately even under unintended or adverse conditions. Built-in traceability allows the company to analyze system outcomes and respond to incidents, ensuring accountability and minimizing security risks.
AI is a powerful tool, but it demands thoughtful, responsible integration. When responsible AI practices are in place, 75% of organizations see improvements in areas like data privacy, customer experience, confident decision-making, brand reputation, and trust.
By asking the right questions, understanding your risks, and choosing partners who prioritize security and transparency, you can unlock AI’s true benefits.
