Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how businesses operate, providing unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. However, as our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man reminds us, with great power comes great responsibility—particularly regarding data privacy.
AI's impact on business demands responsible usage, and even companies acting in good faith face the challenges of a growing regulatory environment and increased government scrutiny. Whether it’s the EU AI Act or Brazil and the EU calling out Meta for using personal information to train its AI without obtaining proper consent, AI risk and regulation is complex, evolving, and constantly moving. As a result, businesses must be proactive and ready for change.
At Osano, we understand the critical need for businesses to navigate the complexities of data privacy in their AI initiatives. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new AI Assessment Template, an addition to our robust Osano Assessment module that’s designed to help businesses identify, document, and address potential data privacy issues associated with AI.
Our new AI Assessment Template builds on the success of the existing Assessment module, offering businesses a specialized tool to address the unique challenges posed by AI. Here’s how this template will enhance your data privacy efforts:
AI technologies can introduce complex data privacy risks that traditional assessment tools might not fully capture. The AI Assessment Template is designed to help businesses identify these risks comprehensively. The assessment operationalizes the EU AI Act's risk-based approach by creating a granular checklist for each phase of the development lifecycle: planning, development, evaluation, operation, and retirement.
Even if your use of AI is not strictly governed by the EU AI Act (which Osano’s AI Assessment Template can help you determine), using this operationalized framework helps identify and quantify your risk exposure. By considering factors such as the purpose for processing, what type of consent needs to be secured, data sources, processing methods, algorithmic transparency, and potential biases, the template ensures that no stone is left unturned in your risk identification process.
Proper documentation is crucial for demonstrating compliance with data protection regulations. The AI Assessment Template serves as a means of documenting your AI-related data processing activities, the associated risks, and the mitigation measures you’ve implemented. This detailed documentation can be invaluable during regulatory audits and for maintaining transparency with stakeholders.
For example, under the EU AI Act there are differing levels of risk associated with different kinds of AI models (which you can learn more about in our blog, What Is the EU AI Act? A Comprehensive Overview). Using Osano’s AI Assessment Template, privacy professionals can work with stakeholders across their organization to document whether and why the AI model in question falls into a particular risk category, such as a high-risk model that is subject to the strictest level of regulation applied to it. Not only does performing and documenting this analysis gives a firm basis on which to understand what actions you need to take to be compliant; it also helps to demonstrate compliance if a regulatory enforcement action takes place or if private litigation is instigated.
Once you’ve identified potential risks, the next step is to identify and implement effective mitigation strategies. But mitigation can’t be divorced from the business needs. Privacy teams need to identify and build mitigation mechanisms that comply with regulations while helping ensure the needs of the business being supported or enhanced by AI are met.
The AI Assessment Template enables privacy teams to build tailored recommendations that address the unique data privacy challenges posed by AI in their business. Creating tailored mitigation strategies and data protections ensures that your mitigation efforts are effective and compliant and that they’ll get implemented and adopted.
At Osano, we recognize the challenges of integrating new tools into existing workflows. Our AI Assessment Template is designed to seamlessly blend with your current assessment and risk mitigation processes. With Osano Assessments, privacy teams can easily collaborate with other business units, ensuring that those with the most relevant knowledge contribute directly to the assessment.
Having experts answer questions streamlines the process by providing accurate and detailed information from the start, reducing the need for follow-up clarifications. This approach provides the privacy team with the best information for making informed risk determinations and designing appropriate risk mitigation measures.
Taken all together, Osano’s AI template and collaborative approach not only ensures comprehensive risk assessments but also significantly streamlines workflow integration, making Osano an invaluable tool for managing AI-related data privacy challenges effectively.
Ready to take your data privacy efforts to the next level? Getting started with the AI Assessment Template is easy. Simply log in to your Osano account and navigate to the Assessment module. From there, you can access the AI Assessment Template and begin conducting comprehensive risk assessments for your AI initiatives.
If you’re new to Osano, now is the perfect time to join the thousands of businesses that trust our platform to manage their data privacy needs. Our user-friendly interface, comprehensive feature set, and dedicated customer support team make it easy to get started and achieve your data privacy goals.
Learn more about Osano Assessments here or reach out to one of our experts to discuss how Osano can help your business meet the challenges and complexities of data privacy compliance.