As businesses in Australia explore the benefits of generative AI, millions of workers may be using the technology without fully understanding its potential risks.
A January survey by Google and IPSOS found that nearly half of all Australians use generative AI, with 75% of them applying it to their work tasks.
Another survey by HR platform Workday revealed that 65% of Australian workers confirmed their employers have introduced AI into the workplace.
While generative AI can speed up tasks like responding to emails, it can also lead to costly mistakes.
Michael, the director of End of Lease Cleaning Melbourne, learned this lesson when a mistake in a business email cost him $2000.
To save time, his team began using AI to generate emails based on customer prompts, reducing their response time from five hours to just one.
However, the AI tool sometimes made errors, such as listing a ‘full wall clean’ instead of a ‘spot wall clean’ without adjusting the price, leading to financial losses.
The tipping point came in March, when Michael’s AI tool generated a quote for a $2000 cleaning job, but the error cost him the business.
Experts advise workers to adhere strictly to their employer’s AI usage policies to avoid mistakes and potential trouble.
Following the $2000 loss, Michael’s team decided to stop using generative AI for business correspondence, despite the longer response time it now requires.
Michael emphasized the importance of reviewing AI-generated emails thoroughly before sending them, advising others to read them two to three times.
