Get in touch Geeks Ltd0203 507 0033 Geeks Ltd0833 757 0134

Geeks AI Use Policy

Last update on 17 July 2023

Geeks Ltd
Geeks Ltd

1. Purpose

This policy establishes guidelines for the ethical, responsible, professional, and fair use of Artificial Intelligence (whether generative or otherwise) within Geeks Ltd and for our clients. It is to ensure that AI use is consistent with Geeks' core values and the law.

You can expect updates to this policy as the law and practice concerning AI develops and our understanding and experience of using and applying AI deepen.

 

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and all other parties that are involved in the use, development, deployment, or management of AI applications at Geeks. This includes all uses. By way of some examples, it includes employees who use generative AI (ChatGPT,
Google Bard, Dall-E, Midjourney, etc.) to develop products or services, generate content, or perform other tasks.

 

3. Principles

Geeks will reference six ethical and trustworthy AI pillars, broadly agreed upon by many AI makers and regulators, including the UK government (1*), IBM (2*), and Google (3*). While not all of these will be directly applicable to every usage of AI, we must consider each to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI. These pillars are:

  • Explainability: We should be able to explain how AI is being used for each use case. The decision-making processes of our AI systems will be explainable to users and stakeholders, ensuring that decisions made by AI are not a "black box" and can be examined, questioned, and if necessary, contested.
  • Transparency: We will be transparent about our use and development of AI and strive to communicate in understandable language.
  • Accountability: We will ensure there is human oversight of AI system performance and quality of work and that individuals are responsible for the proper functioning of AI systems.
  • Privacy: We will respect and protect the privacy of individuals and ensure AI systems are secure to use.
  • Fairness: We will ensure that AI systems do not perpetuate unwanted bias or discrimination and are fair in their outcomes.
  • Robustness: We will ensure AI systems are reliable and safe to use, taking appropriate measures to mitigate risks associated with AI.

 

4. Guidelines

The guidelines of this policy and the AI Register section provide specific actions and practices to adhere to uphold our AI principles. While principles lay down the fundamental values and the ethical stance of our company regarding AI, guidelines offer concrete steps and recommendations on how to put these principles into practice. As we navigate the evolving AI landscape, these guidelines will be periodically reviewed and updated to adapt to new learnings, emerging best practices, and changes in relevant legislation.

  • Informed Consent: When proposing use cases for AI internally or to our clients, we fully explain to the person who needs to sign off using it all the benefits and risks, so they can make an informed decision.
  • Data Protection: We will handle data with respect for privacy and in compliance with data protection laws. We will secure data against unauthorized access and promptly report breaches. We will not expose any data to AI systems without written confirmation from the data source or controller.
  • AI Development: We will apply best practices in the development of AI, including testing for bias and fairness and ensuring reliability and robustness. We proactively and intentionally think about “what can go wrong” and implement risk mitigation mechanisms.
  • Human Intervention: We will ensure that our AI systems allow for appropriate human intervention and do not make decisions without human oversight where necessary.
  • Continuous Monitoring: We will regularly monitor the performance and impact of our AI systems post-deployment. This will help us detect and rectify any unintended consequences or operational issues in a timely manner. All AI systems should be designed with continuous monitoring and performance assessment mechanisms.
  • Collaboration and Openness: We will foster a culture of openness and collaboration around our AI development while keeping our clients' work confidential. This includes engaging with external stakeholders, sharing non-sensitive AI research and insights where appropriate, and actively participating in industry-wide efforts to advance ethical AI practices.
  • Training and Awareness: We will train our employees and other stakeholders about this policy and their responsibilities under it.

 

4. AI Register

Geeks will maintain an AI Register (filled in by employees and monitored by SLT). The key requirement is knowing whether and how we use AI internally or for our clients. These records should include the following information:

  • Which client it was used for (if not internal)
  • Which project it was used in
  • Who signed off using the AI (client user or Geeks SLT who has authority to sign off)
  • Date it was signed off & written sign off (copy of an email is fine)
  • Which AI is used
  • Why it was chosen (comparing with other options)
  • The purpose of using AI (the application of it)
  • Data used to train the AI model (if it was trained by Geeks)
  • What can go wrong in using this AI (risks)
  • What have we done to mitigate the above risks
  • These records need to have the user and the date/time it was recorded.

 

5. Explicit and Written Client Consent

Geeks will not use AI in client projects without the client's explicit consent. Geeks will also not input client data into AI systems of any kind without such consent.

 

6. Compliance with Laws and Regulations

Geeks will comply with all applicable laws and regulations governing the use of AI.

 

7. Enforcement

Geeks will enforce this policy consistently. Employees who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

 

8. Review

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) will review the AI Register regularly. This review will ensure that the company uses AI responsibly and ethically and that SLT is aware of the company’s evolving use of AI.

This policy will be reviewed on a quarterly basis by Geeks CEO & SLT and updated as necessary to account for advancements in technology and law.

 

9. Questions

Please contact compliance [@] geeks.ltd.uk if you have any questions about this policy.

 

 

------------

References: 

*1: UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Establishing a pro-innovation approach to
regulating AI (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/establishing-a-pro-innovation-approach-to-regulating-ai)

*2: IBM, Everyday Ethics for Artificial Intelligence
(https://www.ibm.com/design/ai/ethics/everyday-ethics)

*3: Google, AI Principles (https://ai.google/responsibility/principles/)
 

------------

Changelog:

v.1.1 - 17 July 2023 - Somayeh Aghnia, CEO
Notes: guidelines added


v1.0 - 23 June 2023 - Ben Robinson, Director of Governance
Notes: Document Created.