In the fast-paced and emerging world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the buzz around its capabilities is causing alarm regarding data quality issues. As we dive into the AI boom, the words of George Fuechsel from the 1960s still echo: “garbage in, garbage out.” This phrase is a reminder that if we base our assumptions on bad data, we will end up with poor outcomes.
The problem is that if we use bad data to teach big language computers (LLMs), it might accidentally reveal private and important stuff. This can cause problems with following rules and keeping things secure like accidentally sharing money details, ideas or personal info.
People are worried about the chance of important information getting out by mistake, making sensitive data leaks a big problem everyone’s talking about. A 2023 Gartner survey revealed that mass generative AI availability is a significant worry for enterprise risk executives. Furthermore, the Open Worldwide Applications Security Project (OWASP) identified sensitive data disclosure as the sixth top threat for LLMs.
These new computer programs, called LLMs, are different from the old ones that protected against data leaks. The issue is that they can mix information from lots of places, making it hard to keep an eye on and protect the data. Organizations venturing into the LLM gold rush need a comprehensive understanding of where sensitive information is stored, who has access to it and the ability to track its flow.
Garbage data does not only pose risks through sensitive information, but it can also be inaccuracies that make models ineffective or provide misleading guidance. Outdated or incorrectly chosen datasets during training are common culprits.
To solve these problems, we need to use better technology and organize the information more efficiently. Integrating LLMs seamlessly with existing application development environments can eliminate the need for special data copies, ensuring native coexistence with existing access controls.
As companies are excited about using AI more, it is important to focus on keeping information private and being responsible. Moving fast with AI should always come with making sure we handle data safely, so we get the good things from AI without messing up how we keep information secure.