How SpeakUp is incorporating AI in whistleblowing in 2024

SpeakUp’s mission is to help organisations transition from a compliance culture to a speak up culture. So, naturally, we’re fascinated by the whistleblower’s dilemma in speaking up; and with AI at our fingertips, we’re curious what this will bring. Risks, benefits, challenges?  

To dig deeper, we put on our investigative hats. We had a conversation with Arun Yadava, Chief Technology Officer of SpeakUp, who tells us more about AI in whistleblowing and the aspirations of using it in our product roadmap.

A technological ally for compliance officers

One of the key benefits of using AI is that it has the potential of significantly easing the workload of compliance officers worldwide. As Arun Yadava, our CTO, puts it, "AI now understands human language," a breakthrough that reshapes compliance work.

By automating the administrative tasks, we're not just creating efficiency, we're crafting freedom. This allows for compliance officers to engage in higher-level strategic thinking and decision-making.

For example, AI can help aid in categorising misconduct or policy violation so compliance officers can better understand which cases are out of scope and which ones they should take up urgently.

The roadmap and the reality

We stand on the brink of this AI revolution, with the incorporation of large language models (LLMs) like GPT, which have garnered attention for their ability to generate human-like text. SpeakUp's roadmap for 2024 is LLM-centric, focusing on the potential to revolutionise the whistleblower experience by guiding reporters to supply more relevant information in a user-friendly manner. This doesn't just help the compliance officer; it makes the reporting process more intuitive for whistleblowers, fostering an environment that encourages speaking up.  

Balancing AI innovation with caution

Arun is quick to point out that while there are clear benefits of AI, including reduced human administration and potentially lower error rates, there are risks.  

'Hallucinations', or AI generating convincing but incorrect information, remain a challenge, alongside the need for transparent input to ensure ethical AI operations.

SpeakUp is navigating these waters with a commitment to human verification, ensuring that every output from our AI is rigorously checked for accuracy and reliability. The integration of AI does not signal the end of the human element in whistleblowing. Instead, it enhances it.

SpeakUp believes in ensuring that when we reach that point in AI utilisation, that it takes on the administrative heavy lifting and further simplifying processes for reporters. But the essential human-to-human connection will remain untouched. At the end, there will always be a human verification for cases.

Ethics of AI: should reporters have to worry?

For SpeakUp, the advent of AI in whistleblowing isn't solely about technological advancement. For us, there is also the emphasis on building and keeping trust. Ensuring that reporters feel secure and that their reports are handled with care is and will always remain paramount.  

The use of AI will be transparent, with a clear description of automated processes and human intervention. Our users won't have to question the security or the intent behind the technology; they can rest assured that their confidentiality is safeguarded, and their voices are heard and valued.

What can organisations expect?

The road ahead is thrilling, and while the industry grapples with the best ways to implement AI, SpeakUp is committed to leading the charge with responsible, innovative solutions that set the standard for the future of whistleblowing.

Last year, we wanted to tackle the topic of AI in whistleblowing in our webinar. We invited legal compliance experts who helped us break down the dos and don’ts, benefits, and risks of using AI in whistleblowing systems.  

Even though the territory of AI is not yet predictable, we were sure of a few things.  

• Organisations must understand upcoming AI regulations to ensure compliance. Such as the EU’s first regulation on AI.
• Organisations must maintain transparency when implementing AI in whistleblowing systems.
• Organisations should never abandon human interaction, so reporters are never forced to interact with bots exclusively.