- with Inhouse Counsel
The way we consume information is changing at an incredible pace, and we wanted to share a quick insight into a shift that may have real implications for your business.
Recently, several clients have reached out to us with concerns about articles that are evidently AI-generated, potentially damaging their brand image and reputation.
Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated issue, but it is part of a larger shift in the digital landscape. For the first time, more than half of all the visual and text-based content on the internet is now AI-generated. This means that the data your company relies on and the data it feeds into AI carries significant risks, demanding proactive strategies to remain compliant.
What data is your company feeding into AI?
When your teams consume any kind of content: from reports to articles to data, it has become nearly impossible to tell if such content is human-crafted, copied without verification, or entirely AI-generated. This makes verifying the credibility of your sources a crucial task, not just to combat fake news, but to ensure the reliability of the information driving your strategic decisions.
This challenge directly impacts the data that your company feeds into AI systems. When your teams use AI tools for efficiency: from drafting emails and reports to analysing data, these systems draw information from the same unfiltered ecosystem, producing outputs that look professional but are built on flawed data.
Most critically, each prompt is a data transfer. Which means that without proper safeguards, you risk exposing sensitive information like strategic plans or client details.
This creates a dangerous cycle: consuming unverified content leads to flawed outputs, while simultaneously feeding sensitive data back into AI systems.
Why this matters now?
The EU AI Act, with certain provisions already applicable and stricter rules on the horizon, alongside existing GDPR obligations makes responsible AI use a core element of corporate governance. Companies must now ensure awareness on both fronts: the content your teams consume and the data your teams feed into systems.
To navigate this safely, companies must focus on a few critical areas that define compliant and secure AI adoption:
Data Integrity & Confidentiality: Your strategic plans, financial forecasts, and internal communications are your lifeboat. If entered into a public AI model, that data may be used to train the system, potentially compromising your competitive advantage and blurring the lines of confidentiality.
Regulatory Compliance: While inputting personal or client data into AI tools carries significant implications under the GDPR, the EU AI Act will introduce new obligations for companies that develop or use AI systems regarding transparency, risk management, and human oversight.
Corporate Security: The security of an AI platform is now an extension of your own. A vulnerability in a widely used AI tool could lead to a leak of your most sensitive data, posing a security risk as severe as any traditional cyberattack.
As AI becomes an integral part of daily business operations, organisations must have a proactive approach, ensuring that internal policies, risk assessment, and data-handling practices remain complaint under the new legislative framework.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
