Artificial Intelligence is fast becoming the go-to technology for customer service and support in the business world. However, the implementation of AI does present some challenges. While AI streamlines customer service processes, there are ongoing concerns about security in AI and building trust with customers.
This article focuses on trust and security when adopting AI technology.
- Balancing AI innovation and risk
- Ensuring data security when using AI in customer service
- Enhance data security in AI systems with these strategies
- Use AI to detect and prevent data breaches
- Build trust with secure AI practices
We’ll discuss the potential risks associated with AI implementations, and how organisations can mitigate them to maintain trust with their customer base.
Balancing AI innovation and risk
There is always the risk of a data breach in any AI system. This leads to compromised information, broken trust, and possible legal implications. Balancing data security and risk in AI is paramount. Here are the key reasons why.
1. Regulatory compliance
Various industries must adhere to different compliance obligations, so it’s important to be aware of the rules and regulations that govern your industry. If you operate a contact centre, for example, the rules will likely differ from those that apply to other industries, such as healthcare.
2. Privacy concerns
An AI-based customer service system cannot operate without relying on massive data sets. Of course, this leaves the system open to sensitive data breaches, biases, and potential misuse.
3. Ensuring customer trust and safety
Data security is critical for retaining customer trust and safeguarding the confidentiality of sensitive information. Breaches can result in considerable financial loss and erode customer trust.
4. Adopt security practices to mitigate threats
The rise of artificial intelligence enhances the risk of insider threats. Adopting agile security techniques and open communication will assist in reducing these threats.
Ensuring data security when using AI in customer service
The security of their personal information and how it’s used is a growing concern for consumers. Much of this concern stems from a lack of trust in modern technologies and the people with access to their data. Customers are also concerned that someone might steal or reveal information such as credit card details or personally identifying information.
In a customer service environment, there are several measures you can implement to bolster security and protection when using AI.
A. Human monitoring
No matter how much AI technology can handle in a customer service environment, there is still the need for human monitoring and oversight. People need to supervise and approve AI system decisions. This human interaction catches errors or biases that AI may miss, providing an added layer of security.
B. Privacy preservation
Differential privacy and federated learning are examples of strategies for protecting privacy. These strategies help to prevent personal data exposure while also reducing dependency on centralised data storage or processing.
C. Data anonymisation
These techniques modify or remove personal identifiers in datasets. This prevents a direct association of an individual with specific data. If a breach does occur, you’ll maintain customer privacy.
D. Monitoring and auditing
This involves regularly checking and auditing AI systems to ensure their accuracy and performance, and to guarantee AI systems are following compliance laws.
E. Implement data retention policies
Establish and follow data retention policies to guarantee that personal information is not kept longer than necessary.
Enhance data security in AI systems with these strategies
Fortifying AI-driven contact centre solutions starts with implementing key security measures. Things to consider include secure storage, data encryption, and regular audits. These form the backbone of a secure AI environment. Here are some strategies you need to to implement to enhance security.
1. Open communication
Contact centres must be open and transparent with their customers about how they are interacting with AI systems. This not only builds trust, but also ensures realistic expectations are set.
2. Introduce solid data security protocols
Encrypt AI systems and adhere to data protection rules. Include strategies to anonymise personal data in training sets to avoid individual identification. Regularly update security measures and report data usage clearly to clients.
3. Include data recovery and fail-safes
AI-related failures will happen from time to time, so develop robust recovery procedures. This includes setting procedures for human agents to take over operations in the event of AI or bot malfunction.
4. Bias detection and correction
Employ techniques and diverse training datasets to detect and counteract biases in the AI system. To help ensure fairness, consider hiring third-party organisations to conduct regular audits.
5. Ongoing training and human oversight
Regularly training and refining your models while maintaining human oversight is critical. Consistently monitor and adapt the system based on feedback, and act when required.
Use AI to detect and prevent data breaches
While AI comes under scrutiny regarding security risks, it can also provide the solution. With powerful tools to enhance data security and prevent breaches, AI can make your contact centre systems safer and more accurate. Here’s how AI can help.
- Predictive analysis: AI tools analyse large data sets and can provide insights on potential threats, identify system vulnerabilities, and monitor system behaviour. This allows for early human intervention should the need arise.
- AI detects anomalies: AI rapidly identifies possible security breaches by spotting unusual data patterns in real-time.
- Malware detection: AI detects new versions of malware, prevents ransomware assaults, and mitigates the impact of any known threats.
- AI behaviour analysis: Contact centres can use AI to monitor user behaviour. This helps pinpoint deviations that might signal compromised accounts or a potential threat.
- Continuous monitoring with AI: AI is like your 24/7 security guard when it comes to watching over data and maintaining its integrity and security. Utilising trained algorithms, AI helps to identify and prevent potential threats in customer service systems.
Build trust with secure AI practices
The emphasis on trust in AI has made it easier to deploy automation in customer support environments. Automation provides an approach to improve support, assist agents, and reduce operating costs. Customers are more accepting of it now, making it the ideal time to adopt AI systems.
AI is truly transforming the customer experience (CX) into what it was always meant to be. With AI, the purpose of customer service and customer experience remains the same. It’s just that AI simplifies and improves the process for contact centres, customers, and everybody else.
Premier Contact Point is here to help
Premier Contact Point provides cutting-edge multi-channel communications technology, including AI tools, to contact centres, businesses, and customer support teams. This helps increase efficiency, data accuracy, and security. Get in touch to organise a demonstration and see for yourself, or contact us for more information at 1300 85 11 11.
