Using AI? Do your customers know?
Transparency is the key to trust.
I just had a serious contract call with a client for CLC Strategies (YAY!), and as we talked through the deliverables I found myself interrupting the flow of the conversation to go on very important side quests:
“I use Otter.ai for meeting transcription. Are you comfortable with that?”
“I run regression analysis with Copilot. Are you OK with the data being put in that tool?”
“I usually like to run my reports through a generative AI tool for copy editing and formatting once I write them. Which ones are you OK with me using?”
“What AI tools are you using, and can I get access so I am utilizing what you trust the most?”
There are so many powerful AI tools I can use in research, and when I use them I am able to deliver faster, and often more detailed results. BUT there are some major things I need to consider to protect customer IP/data and ensure they trust they are getting high-quality products from a high-quality human. There’s no shortage of awareness around AI hallucinations, lack of confidentiality, and misrepresentation of one’s work. Just looking at the sheer number of posts on platforms like LinkedIn about how one can “tell” that you are using AI in writing indicates that public trust has been severely eroded. People want to know they are getting what they are paying for, and they want it without incurring too much risk.
Here’s what I have in my contracts to ensure that my clients feel safe and comfortable, and I can still use the AI tools that make me a better researcher:
A full list of all of the AI powered tools I use for my work, and how I will be using them. The client may redline any they are not comfortable, and if there are any major changes to the tools or their policies, we can revisit approved usage.
A timeline for the approval of any new tools I may want to use that were not initially listed.
I want a list of AI powered tools my client uses, and which ones I might get access to so I am using the tools I already know they trust (bonus: I may get access to new tools!).
I will get the full AI policy that the client uses so I understand their needs and values as well as can follow it.
I will provide a copy of my own AI policies and ethics statements.
There will also be AI related statements within the liability sections of my contracts.
What else do you think would be helpful?
