AI Statement
This statement summarizes North Highland’s commitment to the legal, ethical, responsible, and innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that AI systems are deployed in a manner that aligns with our values, safeguards client trust, and adheres to legal and regulatory requirements.
Our Approach
Ethical Integrity: AI systems must be developed and used in a way that is fair, transparent, and respects the dignity of all individuals. North Highland is committed to preventing bias, discrimination, and harm in any and all AI applications.
Client-Centric Approach: AI solutions must be designed with the client’s best interests in mind, ensuring that AI deployments enhance decision-making, efficiency, and value without compromising client privacy, security or causing any harm with unethical implications.
Transparency and Explainability: AI systems should operate transparently, with clear and accessible explanations provided for how decisions are made. Clients and stakeholders must be able to understand the role AI plays in the services and solutions we deliver. North Highland will prepare technical documentation for all AI systems, including training and testing process, evaluation results, and the content used for training AI systems as a standard operating approach.
Data Privacy and Security: All data used in AI systems must be handled in accordance with stringent data protection laws and North Highland’s privacy policies. The security of AI systems and the data they process is paramount, and robust measures must be in place to prevent unauthorized access or breaches.
Continuous Learning and Improvement: AI technologies and practices are rapidly evolving. North Highland commits to ongoing learning, adaptation, and improvement in our AI capabilities, ensuring that our approaches remain cutting-edge and responsible. North Highland will provide regular training programs to educate employees on the ethical use of AI, focusing on emerging trends, risks, and best practices.
Respect For Intellectual Property Rights: All AI systems built and deployed by North Highland will comply with all relevant Intellectual Property laws and regulations and will respect Intellectual Property Rights both in the content used for training and in the outputs.
Consent: Prior to deploying AI solutions, clients must be informed about the nature of the AI technology being used, including its capabilities, limitations, and any potential impacts. Explicit consent must be obtained.
Bias Mitigation: All AI systems must undergo rigorous testing to identify and mitigate any biases that could result in unfair outcomes. Continuous monitoring is required to ensure fairness and accuracy.
Ethical Data Usage: Data used in AI systems must be sourced, processed, and stored ethically, and in full compliance with applicable laws and client agreements. Data usage should be limited to what is necessary for the intended purpose.
Security Compliance: AI systems must adhere to North Highland’s security protocols, including regular audits, vulnerability assessments, and incident response plans. Any security breach or suspected vulnerability must be reported immediately.
Constant Monitoring and Review: This policy will be reviewed annually, or more frequently as needed, to ensure it remains relevant and effective considering new technologies, regulatory changes, and client needs. North Highland will establish a feedback mechanism for employees and clients to provide input on the AI policy and any AI usage or system. This feedback will be used to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
Discriminatory Practices: The use of AI systems to discriminate against or profile individuals or groups based on race, gender, age, religion, sensitive characteristic, or any other protected characteristic is strictly prohibited. North Highland will not use AI systems for social scoring purposes not specifically directed by the data owner or to infer sensitive characteristics.
Malicious Use: AI systems must not be used for any malicious activities, including unauthorized surveillance, misinformation, cyberattacks, or illegal activities. North Highland will not use AI systems for manipulative purposes or to impair informed decision making.
Systemic Risk: North Highland will not create or implement any AI systems that create a high systemic risk.
Unauthorized Access: No individual or entity may access or use unlicensed AI systems with commercial or client data without proper authorization. Any attempt to bypass security measures or misuse AI systems is forbidden.
Data Misuse: The collection, storage, or application of data in a manner that violates privacy laws, client agreements, or ethical standards is prohibited.