As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to gain momentum, its potential to drive innovation and efficiency is undeniable. Yet, despite its impressive capabilities, AI lacks original thought, and it has been known to produce errors, sometimes with serious consequences. So, how reliable is AI, and can we truly depend on it? We explore why trust and reliability must be at the heart of AI’s future.
AI is arguably the most transformative technology of our time. From powering search engines and chatbots to diagnosing diseases and streamlining business operations, AI is reshaping how we live and work. But with great power comes great responsibility—and, increasingly, great concern. As regulatory requirements around AI evolve, there is a need to proceed with caution when it comes to leveraging this intelligence.
AI represents both an extraordinary opportunity and a serious threat. Its potential to revolutionise industries and tackle global challenges is undeniable. Yet, its rapid development and widespread deployment have also surfaced risks, particularly around trust, reliability, and ethical use.
The opportunity: Innovation and efficiency
AI is known to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. For example:
- Healthcare: AI models like DeepMind’s AlphaFold have made breakthroughs in protein folding—an advancement that could accelerate drug discovery.
- Finance: AI is used to detect fraudulent transactions in real-time, saving companies and consumers billions.
- Customer experience: AI-powered chatbots, like those used in customer service platforms, can handle thousands of queries at scale, improving response time and consistency.
In corporate training, AI offers personalised learning paths, real-time feedback, and predictive analytics to identify knowledge gaps—making learning smarter and more effective.
The threat: When AI gets it wrong
However, AI systems are not infallible. When they go wrong, the consequences can be serious:
- Facial recognition bias: Studies have shown that AI facial recognition systems have significantly higher error rates for people of colour and women, raising serious ethical and legal concerns.
- Autopilot failures: In the automotive sector, Tesla’s AI-based autopilot has been involved in several high-profile crashes, prompting investigations into the technology's readiness and limitations.
- Generative AI hallucinations: Tools like ChatGPT have been known to "hallucinate"—confidently presenting incorrect or entirely fabricated information. In one case, a lawyer submitted a legal brief citing fictitious cases generated by an AI tool, leading to professional sanctions.
- Amazon’s recruitment AI: Amazon famously scrapped an AI recruiting tool after discovering it was biased against female candidates—a direct result of training data reflecting historical gender bias in the tech industry.
Why trust and reliability matter
AI has the answers, but can we really trust them? Trust in AI doesn’t just come from functionality—it comes from transparency, accountability, and consistency. As AI becomes more integrated into decision-making processes in sectors like healthcare, law, education, and compliance, its outputs must be explainable, auditable, and fair.
Businesses adopting AI need to ensure:- Ethical AI governance is in place
- Systems are tested for bias and fairness
- There is human oversight for critical decisions
- Users understand when and how AI is being used
Without this foundation, organisations risk reputational damage, legal liability, and erosion of public trust.
Ask Aida for information you can trust
For AI to truly fulfil its potential, it must be developed and deployed responsibly. This involves investing in transparency and explainability to ensure decisions made by AI systems can be understood and trusted. It also requires clear accountability structures that define who is responsible for AI outcomes, along with educating teams on ethical AI practices to promote fairness, inclusivity, and integrity.
Aida is our AI-powered digital assistant, designed to provide relevant, reliable information that is concise in response to questions asked. The information is based on company policies, e-learning courses, or external statutory documents and legislation.
Unlike general AI assistants, Aida is purpose-built for compliance training, delivering information specifically aligned with an organisation’s compliance policies. This focused approach ensures employees receive accurate, relevant guidance that reflects company standards and regulatory expectations.
The path forward: Responsible AI
Firms must collaborate with regulators and industry bodies to help shape robust, safe standards that guide the responsible evolution of AI technologies. AI is not inherently good or bad—it’s a tool. How we choose to use it will determine its impact.
AI offers remarkable opportunities, but if not properly managed, these come with serious risks. From recruitment tools to self-driving cars, we’ve already seen how flawed AI systems can cause real harm. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in our workplaces and daily lives, trust and reliability must move from being an afterthought to a top priority. The future of AI depends not just on what it can do, but on how responsibly we build and use it.
Looking for more compliance insights?
We have created a series of comprehensive roadmaps to help you navigate the compliance landscape, supported by e-learning in our Essentials Library.
Written by: Emmeline de Chazal
Emmeline is an experienced digital editor and content marketing executive. She has a demonstrated history of working in both the education management and software industries. Emmeline has a degree in business science and her skillset includes Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and digital marketing analytics. She is passionate about education and utilising her skills to encourage greater access to e-learning.
