The use of AI solutions has exploded in recent years. In 2024, according to research by McKinsey, over 70% of organizations used some form of AI. However, as more people interact with AI, we are also seeing negative consequences such as disinformation, phishing, and discrimination. For example, during the U.S. elections, an AI-generated voice of Joe Biden made robocalls urging people not to vote (New York Times). This is why the EU has introduced the AI Act by the European Commission. This law has recently come into effect and impacts all organizations that want to use AI. One of the main consequences is that employees working with AI are now required to be trained in AI.
What is the AI Act?
The AI Act is legislation from the European Union aimed at regulating the development and application of AI systems. The goal is to make AI safe, transparent, and ethically responsible. The law classifies AI systems based on risk levels: from minimal risk to unacceptable risk, and sets requirements for design, development, and implementation. AI applications involving, for example, biometric surveillance or social scoring systems are prohibited by default (with specific exceptions for police investigations). Article 4 of this law states that all employees working with AI must also have sufficient knowledge of it. These are the so-called requirements for AI literacy according to the AI Act.
What is AI literacy?
AI literacy refers to the ability to understand, critically assess, and effectively use AI technologies. It includes basic knowledge of how AI works, its ethical and societal implications, and how to use AI applications safely and responsibly. Just as digital literacy is essential in today's society, AI literacy is becoming increasingly important in a world where AI solutions are an integral part of our daily lives and work.
An example of why AI literacy is important can be found at online retailer Amazon. In 2018, the company used an algorithm to filter resumes but received negative publicity because mainly male candidates were selected. This was due to the data on which the model was trained: the resumes of current Amazon employees, who were mostly men. If the recruiters had been more aware of AI's dependence on historical data, they would have been more cautious, and reputational damage could have been avoided. Incidentally, this application is now prohibited by the AI Act.
According to the AI Act, employees working with AI must be knowledgeable about AI. This already applies to anyone using ChatGPT on their own initiative. Violations of the AI Act can result in fines as high as 35 million euros or 7% of annual turnover (Legalz).
What does this mean for your company?
It is important to ensure that your employees have a sufficient level of AI literacy. Here’s how you can meet this requirement:
Inventory of AI systems: Identify which AI systems are being used and by whom. This may be more than you think, such as that one colleague using ChatGPT.
Determine the risk level: Assess under which risk category the AI application falls.
Provide AI training: Depending on this, employees must take a course that matches the required AI literacy for their role in the company.
Conduct an audit: The final step is to perform an internal audit to prepare for any external audit.
Although the exact content of the training is not specified by the AI Act, there are certain topics that are generally covered. These include handling personal data safely, understanding where AI can be used, and awareness of AI’s limitations.
It is important that training is tailored to the context. An end user of AI needs a lower level of knowledge than someone deploying AI solutions in the organization or developing AI solutions. Finally, it is important to distinguish between different AI applications. The way someone uses AI determines which laws apply. For example, medical applications are much more strictly regulated.
Profound Vision provides customized courses to ensure employees have sufficient knowledge to use AI safely. A specific course module is fully dedicated to raising your team’s level of AI literacy. This module is aligned with the AI Act, and by completing this course, you meet the requirements set out in Article 4 of this regulation. After completing the course, participants receive an AI literacy certificate to confirm their acquired competence.
