The M&E industry has reached an inflection point thanks to the rapid rise of generative AI.
Content creators and advisors are not only trying to figure out how to utilize gen AI to their benefit at a macro level, but they’re also navigating logistical questions and concerns about how these tools could upend their current workflows, impact their organization’s privacy and security, and even influence their brand’s reputation.
Questions about any new capability or platform should be asked and answered, but fear of the unknown shouldn’t impede innovation.
Understanding and utilizing GenAI within content creation processes can streamline workflows, save teams time and resources, and expand an organization’s revenue-generating opportunities.
More minor AI advancements like checking an article for copy editing and grammar improvements to more advanced capabilities like multi-language translation and image generation allow content experts to focus on what they love most: telling compelling stories to the audiences they know and care for.
Navigating unknown territory
M&E organizations are eager to implement gen AI platforms from a time- and resource-saving standpoint, but they’re understandably nervous about the known and unknown risks of giving the green light.
These tools are advancing at a rapid pace — perhaps too rapidly. A workforce survey found that nearly four out of five junior employees feel like they can’t keep up with the speed of technological change. Because of this fast pace, there are many unanswered questions about the implications gen AI could have for individuals, businesses, and industries alike:
• Workforce impact: A recent survey found that over half of employees have no idea how their organization utilizes AI. Unfortunately, there’s often a lack of transparency from leaders on how the business approaches AI, its current use, and future roll-out plans, yet individuals and teams are eager to learn, evolve how they work, and contribute to the company’s competitive advantage. In most cases, there needs to be an increased focus on communicating and educating teams about AI, especially as its usage starts to scale.
• Privacy and security risks: Another survey found that 40 percent of respondents use AI tools without disclosing it to their manager or colleagues. Using AI without guardrails can pose privacy and security risks to the business, especially if the models are fed confidential information. The M&E industry regularly handles sensitive information, so it’s critical to place parameters around which roles can access these tools and how to use them.
• Ethical questions: There are ongoing ethical questions about using GenAI in content creation, which becomes even more complex as regulations evolve. M&E organizations are especially concerned about potential missteps that could lead to copyright infringement, mishandling data, or publishing misinformation that was AI-generated or influenced. Many are asking if it’s ethical to use these tools in their workflows or to inform their intellectual property at all.
Reduce risk with an AI governance framework
Adopting any new tool or technology carries inherent risk, given the shift to the organization’s existing infrastructure and workflows, but the payoff is usually worth it. Implementing a new third-party system and ensuring everything still functions properly and efficiently requires time, attention, and governance — no matter what the new tool is.
The best practice for any team in any industry is to wait for their organization to communicate how new systems can and should be used. Even though gen AI tools are readily accessible and experimenting with them at the individual level is inevitable, this type of technology shouldn’t be treated differently than any other new platform or system.
However, because many people are already off to the races, organizations need to create an AI governance framework to get ahead of potential misuse.
The framework should provide a checks-and-balances structure and outline necessary parameters around how gen AI is used and who is using it, so it can be easily managed and regularly monitored. It’s also important to include stakeholders across IT, marketing, communications, and operations teams at the onset of this process to ensure all bases are covered.
The AI governance framework should account for three different layers:
• Model layer: Providers such as OpenAI and Amazon Web Services have a level of governance baked into their AI models in terms of how they develop and deploy AI systems in a way that is ethical, fair, transparent, and accountable. This includes safeguarding the data used by AI systems to protect individuals’ privacy and ensure data security as well as addressing biases to prevent discriminatory outcomes.
• Application layer: The application layer is where a model is integrated into an application, such as a content management system (CMS). Safeguards for content moderation and various parameters can be configured and set to control the creativity level of the model, and the organization’s IT teams, and AI practitioners can set parameters relevant to their business. For example, they can decide how comfortable they are with the model being more or less creative by setting the “temperature.” The model will generate a broader range of outputs with more creativity and less predictability with a higher temperature. A lower temperature, on the other hand, will provide more focused, specific outputs.
• End-user layer: The end-user layer is where most team members will interact with gen AI. It’s essentially the organization’s code of conduct, outlining acceptable use and policies regarding how AI is utilized across different business functions. Was it used for research in a reporter’s article? Did it generate imagery for a new microsite? Did it generate headline samples? This layer requires experts to review, manage, track, and measure outputs to ensure they align with internal and external regulatory and compliance guidelines.
The best way to weather industry-wide change is to prepare.
The adoption and use of AI applications within the M&E industry can lead to incredible benefits at the individual and organizational levels — but first, proper guidance is needed so these tools are used appropriately.
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** By Anne Neubauer, Writer, Brightspot **