by Simon Hall, Senior IT Technician at GHM Care
According to a recent Microsoft and LinkedIn Work Trend Index Report, three in four knowledge workers (75%) now use AI at work and 78% of those users are bringing their own AI tools to work (BYO AI), raising important IT security questions and risks.
Our very own tech guru, Simon Hall, tells us what to be aware of and how to manage BYO AI securely in your care home.
Get the full picture
Be open with employees. Find out how many are using AI tools in your care homes or head office, what tools they’re using, what tasks they’re using the tools for and what data are they accessing with the tools. Once you’ve got the full picture, you can start to plan around it.
Research the tools being used
The famous phrase “you get what you pay for” definitely applies when it comes to AI tools. If users are using their own generative AI for work I would definitely be asking if the type of tech has been signed off, has it been tested in a dev environment, could it contain inbuilt malware / spyware and so on. This might be tricky to know, especially in the fast moving world of AI, but the GHM Care IT Support team can help with this bit.
What’s the level of user experience?
No matter what AI you use, you need to use it wisely and safely. If users really don’t know what their doing or are new to the world of AI tools, the level of IT security risk increases and so I would adapt the level of company guidance accordingly.
Stick to the paid options
If you’re keen for your teams to embrace AI tools in the care home, my recommendation would be to use a paid for service such as Microsoft Copilot. The paid for service of ChatGPT is also good but I would say this is for more experienced users. Once you’ve established the tools you’re happy with, write up a list of approved AI tools and the different care home and head office functions you’re happy for them to be used for.
Create a BYO AI policy
If you’re going to continue to allow BYO AI, create a clear policy outlining outlining which AI tools are approved for use in both the head office and care homes, what types of data can be processed, and how these tools should be used responsibly.
If you’re worried about the IT security risks associated with BYO AI in the care environment or want to embrace AI tools in the workplace but want to do it safely, our IT Support team for care homes is always able to help.