Can AI earn the trust of compliance program administrators?
By now we’ve all heard about the transformative (and disruptive) powers of artificial intelligence (AI). Though AI has been around for many years, its recent rise to everyday use and contributions to swift innovation and efficiency in recent years mean organizations are finding new and creative ways to implement AI into daily work.
Which brings us to the ways in which AI can enhance risk and compliance programs – and for the sake of this article, the role of AI in whistleblowing programs. As organizations explore AI whistleblowing solutions , trust in the technology and practicalities of implementation must be considered, as well as the trust needed from administrators. So, let’s dive into the adoption challenges and explore how AI can enhance program efficiency and consistency.
The cultural barrier: why compliance teams resist AI in whistleblowing programs
At its core, whistleblowing programs are human-centric. We’re dealing with human queries and concerns concerning other humans’ behavior. As such, there is a deep-rooted trust in the human oversight and judgement in all areas of whistleblowing – from report intake to case investigations and follow-up. Understandably, concerns for loss of control and visibility, or fear that AI whistleblowing systems could compromise confidentiality or ethical handling of reports might surface.
Thus, trust is essential when considering how AI can be implemented into your hotline and incident management program. Addressing fears that AI could make the system less transparent, biased or less secure is the foundation of building that trust.
Trust is the cornerstone of any effective whistleblowing program – organizations must ensure AI supports, not threatens, that trust.
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AI in whistleblowing doesn’t replace judgment
One critical fear for many leaders is that AI can be used to replace human judgment. Unfortunately, this is not an unfounded fear, as the stories of bias in AI for things like screening applicants are a clear example of how AI can damage business and violate trust.
That said, the myriad ways in which AI can support and augment human expertise are worth exploring. When applying AI in whistleblowing report intake, organizations create several efficiencies and benefits, including:
- Reports with high-risk factors can be elevated more quickly
- The reporter can make a report in their preferred language with machine translations, creating seamless handoffs and communications
- Flagging reports that need urgent attention or specialized routing
- Identify patterns and hot spots that may require additional training or policy updates
- Automating administrative tasks
- Scrubbing report data to enhance anonymity
In short, AI doesn’t replace human expertise or judgment. It can augment and make human work more efficient by removing the manual burden and giving compliance professionals more time to focus on what matters: investigating with care and context.
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The real risk: not using AI in whistleblowing and compliance
Now that we’re firmly in the AI era, organizations face the new challenge of adapting or becoming obsolete. While adapting and modernizing have always been organizations’ prerogatives, the speed at which innovation is moving has never been faster or more visible. Organizations that are reluctant to adopt AI may face the consequences of stagnancy and a lack of innovation, as many innovations in this era are AI-centric.
Further, outdated compliance programs will become even more obsolete, even more quickly than ever before. This is especially true for whistleblowing programs, where failing to adopt AI in whistleblowing can lead to slower response times, eroded employee trust, and unnecessary risk. In this fast-moving and dynamic environment, resistance to change can itself become a compliance vulnerability and create unnecessary roadblocks.
Some limitations of behind-the-curve compliance programs include:
- Inconsistent response times
- Inability to track patterns across dispersed data
- Delays that erode employee trust
- Siloed data
- Disconnected communication across investigatory teams
- Translation delays or misunderstandings due to language barriers
Traditional programs often lack proper tracking and monitoring of intake, which limits their effectiveness.
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Building trust in AI whistleblowing tools: practical steps for compliance leaders
There are many benefits of AI in risk and compliance programs, but skepticism and reluctance still need to be addressed to build trust. To build that trust, a framework to thoughtfully introduce AI whistleblowing software into your program can help address concerns and ensure the use case is best for your business.
- Start with use cases that solve known pain points (e.g., translation, intake channel management, report routing)
- Educate stakeholders on how AI works – and what it doesn’t do
- Maintain transparency by documenting how AI decisions are made and monitored to address concerns about bias or automated decision-making
- Pilot gradually, measure impact, and gather internal feedback
- Stay human-first: AI supports the process, but humans remain accountable
Trust in the process, trust in the people – then trust the tools
An important note to remember when implementing a new tool or technology in the workplace is not to bring on new tools for the sake of new tools. The goal is not simply to “adopt AI”; it’s to create stronger, safer, more efficient and responsive compliance programs. When implemented transparently, administrators, investigators and reporters can be assured their information is protected and that AI is used to enhance – not detract – from their human experience. Thoughtful, secure and transparent AI use is not a threat to a culture of compliance, but it can be a way to scale and protect it.
Trust isn’t just built between employees and the whistleblowing process – it must also exist between your compliance culture and the technologies that support it. With thoughtful adoption, organizations can prove that AI in whistleblowing strengthens trust enhances transparency, and scales compliance programs without sacrificing integrity.
