The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has picked up pace in recent months with advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools leading to the ability to produce high quality AI generated content in minutes.
Its ability to combine multiple data sources and the speed with which AI Chatbots can generate written content is both a valuable tool for ISO Consultants and a risk to manage.
Assent’s mission is to Champion International Standards, and therefore we want to be at the forefront of new technology and play our part in developing industry best practices using these tools. Through some recent testing of AI Chatbots we have gained a valuable insight into the benefits and drawbacks of the technology.
How will AI Impact ISO Consulting?
It’s clear that AI will impact many industries, including ISO Consultancy.
Many ISO standards set out a number of documentation requirements consisting of policies, procedures and processes. Often ISO Consultants take time to learn and understand new ISO standards, producing template documentation that can be adapted for a particular client, and refined over time.
Read more about how we approach new and updated standards at Assent: https://www.assentriskmanagement.co.uk/understanding-new-iso-standards/
However AI Chatbots offer ISO Consultants a tool to not only produce template documents quickly but also customise them to a fairly high degree, adding features for a particular industry, country or other aspects.
This can potentially speed up the adoption of brand new ISO standards, allowing consultants to quickly draft the documentation requirements and focus on the practical implementation of a standard.
It may also assist ISO Consultants in implementing existing standards, by producing better documentation for their clients.
The Benefits of AI Generated Content
Speed of Generation
AI Chatbots can generate complex policies, procedures and other documentation in a matter of minutes, reducing the time it takes to draft coherent documentation from scratch.
Customised Content
Using Natural Language Processing, consultants can present complex requests (queries) that include consideration of variables such as a particular industry or country, to produce content that is highly customised.
Improved Quality of Output
It is also argued that AI generated content is often of a higher quality than that of human generated content. AI’s ability to construct content that is grammatically and technically correct not only makes it easier to read but also reduces the likelihood of it being mis-interpreted.
The Risks from AI Generated Content
Old Reference Data
The reference data used by some AI chatbots can be aged and this can lead to some inaccurate references, particularly with regards to fast moving legislation where it may not be clear what the current status is.
Duplication within Content
In our tests, asking the AI Chatbot to extend its response can result in duplication of themes within the text, which has the potential to contradictor confuse earlier output.
Rubbish In = Rubbish Out
Although AI does a lot of the work, it still relies on a human asking the right questions. If the query isn’t constructed accurately, even through natural language processing, the chatbot may produce an unexpected result.
Assent’s Post-Editing of AI Output Service
Much like langauge service providers have developed post-editing in response to machine translation (MT) tools, we believe AI generated content requires a human ‘expert’ post-editor to ensure that the content is fit-for-purpose.
The skills and experience of the post-editor may vary depending on the management system discipline and the extent of any legal content to be reviewed.
However, even factoring in a post-editing process, the use of AI Chatbots is likely to still result in a time and cost saving benefit.
Assent is implementing training across our team to ensure our consultants can maximise the benefits of AI Chatbot tools while reducing the risks.
We also have the expertise across a range of ISO Standards and management disciplines to provide a post-editor service to clients who wish to utilise AI generated content as a part of the organisation.
Contact us to discuss how our post-editing role can help.
Other Developments in AI
The main proponents of AI such as OpenAI, Microsoft and Google have big plans extending beyond the Natural Language Processing Chatbots, which may eventually lead to other applications within management consulting and auditing.
For example, AI could be used to analyse content provided by a client to detect anomalies or non-conformances.
Or it could be used to update documentation stored within file systems, changing references to old staff details for example.
ISO 42001
Understanding ISO 42001
ISO 42001 is a globally recognised standard that provides guidelines for the governance and management of AI technologies.
The standard offers a systematic approach to addressing the challenges associated with AI implementation, such as ethics, accountability, transparency, and data privacy, in a recognised management system framework.
How our ISO 42001 Consultants Can Help
ISO 42001 consultants play a crucial role in guiding businesses through the implementation process by interpreting the requirements, keeping up-to-date on emerging best practices and legislation, and providing objective Internal Audits.
How are you using AI?
We would love to hear about your experiences of AI within your organisation.