I’m a huge fan of monster movies, especially all things Titan related. Whether it’s Godzilla stomping all over cities, King Kong beating his chest or the three-headed King Ghidorah wreaking havoc, there’s something about the mythology of this MonsterVerse that just speaks to me and my inner geek. AppleTV’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tells the story of the Randa family, the founders of Monarch, the covert organization which tracks and chases the Titans.
In Season 2 of Monarch, the Randas are on the hunt for Titan X – a sea creature whose tentacles can crush a Navy ship and whose scarabs are always up for destroying everything in front of them, including some innocent young surfers just looking to catch a wave. The Randas are conducting the hunt for Titan X on their own because Monarch is now partnering with Apex – a corporation which is secretly planning to control the Titans using technology (this is unlikely to end well).
In episode 4, Trespass, Apex has taken over Monarch’s search for Titan X. Apex’s cutting-edge technology and algorithms almost immediately determine that Titan X is headed directly for the well-populated San Francisco, which is still recovering from a Godzilla rampage years ago. An evacuation order is issued but we soon learn that Apex’s AI got it all wrong – it’s chasing a whale, not Titan X, which is headed to Santa Soledad, where our heroes first encountered this Titan decades prior. And while we learn at the end of the episode that this AI hallucination may have been an intentional ruse on the part of Apex, it got me thinking about the use of AI in the workplace.
With the use of AI becoming more present in the workplace, all companies should have in place policies related to the use of AI. These policies should:
- Clearly define what is and what is not acceptable uses of AI;
- Set forth what AI tools are approved and for what functions these tools can be used for;
- Prohibit the entering of the company’s confidential or proprietary information, as well as any customer- or employee- identifiable information, into public AI models;
- Require employees to verify AI’s output to ensure accuracy, quality and lack of bias;
- Require disclosure of when AI has been used for certain projects; and,
- Ensure that the AI tools are being used in compliance with all company policies related to discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace.
All employees who can potentially use AI in the workplace should be trained on its acceptable use and compliance with the company’s AI policy. Such training should advise employees on the risk of using AI, particularly the risk of hallucinations and bias. These AI policies should also be reviewed frequently. AI tools continue to evolve at a rapid pace and your company needs to make sure your policies are keeping up not only with the technology but with the legislation which is beginning to be introduced to govern the use of AI.
AI can certainly be a useful tool in the workplace, but it is important for employers to ensure that its employees are utilizing this technology wisely (unlike Apex and its “we can control the Titans with tech” plan).