Launch of new Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group (SIG)
The BCI is pleased to announce the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group (AI SIG) created to connect resilience professionals who are passionate about AI.
This newly formed Special Interest Group was created after requests from members who were keen to explore the capabilities of AI in resilience settings, and also by those who were acutely aware of the potential risks of adopting a new technology without appropriate controls in place.
The new group will explore the specific uses of AI to enhance organizational resilience, as well as considering new ways such a technology could be exploited for resilience professionals. The other aim will be to ascertain safe ways of adopting such technologies, and the controls and processes in place to ensure the risks attached to using AI (e.g. potential misinformation through generative AI, privacy concerns, lack of regulation, machines carrying out tasks which still require human verification).
The group aims to drive AI innovation in resilience and business continuity through sharing and building community knowledge, keeping members up-to-date on emerging trends and research, contributing to thought leadership, and fostering supportive, collaborative networks.
The Committee has currently been partially formed from those who have already expressed an interest in setting up a group, with other interested parties invited to nominate themselves for consideration. We are particularly looking for individuals who fall into the following categories:
- Creator and developer: Those who are actively involved in creating products and/or services for, or have uses for, the resilience community.
- Active user: Those who use AI products (or features of products) in their resilience programmes and/or manage the implementation of the technology.
- Generative AI user: Those who currently use generative AI for resilience purposes, but have yet to purchase/use AI specific tools or features of products in resilience settings.
- Active watcher: Those who have an active interest in AI and are considering implementation in their own organization.
- Risk community and cautious professions: Those who have a particular interest in the risks associated with AI, or are keen to adopt but are concerned about the risks.
Mikaiiro Laitinen (Finland) originally requested this new SIG and will be the leader, with other founding committee members Simon Contini (UAE), Austin Cruz (United States), and Abitha Mohan (India).
Leader Mikaiiro Laitinen is an experienced resilience and BC practitioner with a special interest in AI. He is also vice leader of the BCI Finland Chapter. He said:
“In early 2023 I asked a vanilla ChatGPT to create a business continuity plan. The results were a wake-up call: if AI can produce a quite convincing plan in seconds, what else could it do? Following this initial thought, I started thinking about the wider impact AI will have on the business continuity and resilience (BC&R) industry.
I am fascinated by AI and its potential and I wish to learn from and give back to the BC community. The first objective of the new group will be facilitating active discussions of AI in the BC&R industry from different perspectives.
Join us and share insights, case examples, personal views, and questions. Add to our common understanding. Reap the benefits and spread the word. I am convinced that when we tap into the wealth of knowledge, innovative ideas, and experience of the BC&R community, we will be able to create interesting insights from a multitude of perspectives.”
Rachael Elliott, BCI Knowledge Strategist added:
“The creation of this new SIG comes at an exciting and very pertinent time for the industry. Since the pandemic, the evolution of technology in our sector has been rapid. Organizations are now employing comprehensive risk mapping solutions, using visual and augmented reality in exercising, and exploiting tools such as geofencing in the emergency communications programmes. However, AI offers even more opportunities on top of the options available to practitioners: many are already using the generative AI to help with document creation, for datamining, or for scenario generation. Technology providers are now using AI to increase functionality in existing tools, as well as invent new solutions.
However, while international bodies, governments, and industry associations are rushing to ensure relevant controls are in place such as privacy controls, non-malicious use clauses, and protective mechanisms, many practitioners remain unconvinced of the safety of the technology.
I am excited about the outputs that will come from the group, which will hopefully lead to new thinking – and potentially new practice – for our industry. Furthermore, with Mikairro driving the group, the proactivity and dedication of the group is guaranteed to be high!”
Those interested in becoming part of the committee or taking part in the group are encouraged to join the launch webinar on Thursday 26 Sep 2024, 2PM BST
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