LinkedIn is testing how generative artificial intelligence could help employees and external suppliers get answers about cybersecurity policies within seconds, potentially cutting wait times for business deals or decisions to implement new tools. Response times to employees' questions on the chatbot were found to be about five seconds or less, which compares with around 15 minutes when a human helper responded, according to a spokeswoman for the company. By speeding up the process of answering cybersecurity questions, the new tool helps other teams such as marketing, sales or product management, Belknap said. Belknap said he is looking into other ways generative AI could help his cybersecurity team defend the company against hackers, such as by detecting malware. Cybersecurity leaders at other big companies have been dabbling with generative AI since it emerged last year. Is experimenting with using generative AI to help cybersecurity staff do tedious tasks like parse large data sets. Some companies have banned or restricted employees' use of generative AI because of security risks. Temporarily banned employees from using OpenAI's ChatGPT after it found that staff had leaked sensitive information to the platform in April. Cybersecurity leaders that do experiment with generative AI need to double down on making sure employees review any outcomes and are provided with training on the risks, said Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. LinkedIn employees outside the cyber and tech groups sometimes struggle to understand what is allowed under corporate security policies, Belknap said. The chatbot makes it more likely that employees won't skip required security steps because it speeds up the process, he said. When the final version of the chatbot is released, LinkedIn plans to track how many of its interactions with employees require little to no human engagement, according to the spokeswoman for the company. About a dozen LinkedIn cybersecurity workers interpret internal policies and make sure colleagues in other departments implement them properly. The chatbot helps ensure that staff get consistent answers to their inquiries, Belknap said. Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. LinkedIn uses a similar AI tool to help suppliers and business partners get faster and more consistent security information. "If we give an inconsistent answer, or if we give an incomplete answer, it might result in a deal being delayed for weeks or months or maybe a deal falling through," Belknap said. Generative AI could relieve pressure on employees and help with repetitive, menial tasks, freeing workers to do more challenging things, Belknap said. Employees need to oversee how it works to make sure it doesn't create problems like giving out wrong information. "I don't want my AI that's talking to customers to give out racist answers or wrong answers."
This Cyber News was published on www.wsj.com. Publication date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 23:19:27 +0000