In a recent event, a business owner asked an important question – how can we stop AI from causing more significant problems in our organization? They gave an example of a team member often left out of emails due to personal conflicts or bias. How can we ensure their expertise is recognized when Microsoft 365’s CoPilot uses Microsoft Graph to analyze our emails for answers? Will it still see that person as an expert? If CoPilot uses Microsoft Graph to look at our emails and SharePoint files, is it just “crowd-sourcing” answers? If so, will it just highlight existing issues instead of unlocking our organization’s knowledge?

We also need to consider different communication styles. For instance, how is their expertise captured and recognized if a team member is introverted or prefers face-to-face interactions over emails?

Here are some strategies we came up with to tackle these challenges:

Inclusive Communication Practices:

Include all team members in relevant communications. Create email groups or Teams channels for every project. This way, everyone is informed and can share their ideas.

AI Ethics Guidelines:

Set rules for employees using AI tools like CoPilot and AI Builder. This way, AI won’t accidentally exclude certain team members. The aim is for AI tools to support human decision-making, not replace it.

Regular Audits:

Regularly check AI usage to find and fix any issues of bias or exclusion. Review the suggestions from CoPilot and the models built with AI Builder regularly to ensure they align with the organization’s values and ethics.

Feedback Mechanisms:

Set up ways for team members to report issues related to AI usage. This could be a dedicated Teams channel where employees can share their experiences and concerns.

AI Training:

Train employees on the ethical use of AI. Teach them how to use AI tools like CoPilot and AI Builder in a way that promotes inclusivity and fairness. This training could cover how to interpret and apply the suggestions from CoPilot and how to build and use models with AI Builder.

By using these practices, businesses can promote a more inclusive and ethical use of AI.