Want AI to work for your business? Then privacy needs to come first

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Cisco has released a "2025 Data Privacy Benchmark Study" that looks astatine the privateness challenges companies look with the emergence of artificial intelligence. It offers applicable insights for businesses that privation to integrate AI portion keeping privateness beforehand and center.

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The survey gathered opinions from 2,600 privateness and information professionals crossed 12 countries.

A cardinal uncovering is that astir companies (86%) enactment privateness laws, citing a "positive" interaction connected their concern operations. Although compliance tin beryllium costly, 96% of organizations reported that the benefits importantly outweigh the investment.

Where to store data

One large contented companies look contiguous is deciding wherever to store their data. 

Many businesses (90%) similar to store information locally, believing it's safer, adjacent though it tin beryllium much costly and complicated. At the aforesaid time, much businesses are trusting ample planetary providers -- companies similar Cisco itself -- to grip their information securely. As galore arsenic 91% of companies present judge planetary providers connection amended protection, up from 86% the erstwhile year.

As AI technologies, peculiarly generative AI tools similar ChatGPT, person go much common, the survey recovered that 63% of respondents accidental they present recognize these technologies well. However, professionals' increasing usage of AI has introduced caller risks.

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Almost two-thirds (64%) of professionals interest astir accidentally sharing delicate oregon confidential accusation done AI tools. Surprisingly, astir fractional said they've already enactment backstage oregon worker information into AI systems, showing a existent spread betwixt knowing the risks and taking action.

Dev Stahlkopf, Cisco's main ineligible officer, said beardown privateness practices are indispensable for the harmless usage of AI: "For businesses moving towards utilizing AI, privateness measures signifier the indispensable groundwork to negociate AI responsibly."

Shifting budgets to AI

Cisco's survey recovered that companies are shifting budgets from wide privateness spending to AI-related efforts. 

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Nearly each businesses (99%) program to allocate immoderate privateness backing toward AI implicit the adjacent year. Cisco said its "2024 AI Readiness Index" shows that companies expect to astir treble their AI-related IT budgets, underscoring their superior cognition to AI safety.

Privacy arsenic a competitory advantage

Cisco wrapped up its findings by looking astatine user views connected privacy. 

According to its "2024 Consumer Privacy Survey," implicit fractional of planetary consumers (53%) are alert of privacy laws successful their countries. Among these respondents, 81% consciousness assured successful their quality to support their information -- compared to conscionable 44% who are unaware of specified laws.

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Overall, the survey shows that bully privateness practices aren't conscionable astir ineligible compliance -- they're a cardinal portion of concern success. As AI becomes much popular, companies that grip information responsibly are much apt to gain lawsuit spot and enactment competitive.