November 11, 2024 - In today's fast-paced professional world, employees often encounter challenges such as writer’s block, repetitive tasks, and productivity gaps. Without proper tools and guidance, they may seek external solutions, risking company data and security. This trend, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), highlights the need for a structured AI strategy that aligns with organizational goals, security protocols, and the evolving needs of a modern workforce.

The need for a proactive AI strategy

An AI strategy is crucial for empowering employees with tools that enhance productivity, efficiency, and innovation. Without modern solutions, employees might turn to unsanctioned AI tools, potentially compromising security. To prevent this, companies must proactively adopt secure AI strategies that support employees' needs while safeguarding the organization. Secure integration of cutting-edge technology enhances employee experience, increases engagement, and maintains competitiveness in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Enhancing productivity through secure AI integration

At Citrin Cooperman, the value of a secure AI strategy became evident during the development of an internal presentation. Tasked with creating a PowerPoint containing confidential company information, employees leveraged Microsoft Copilot—a Citrin Cooperman-approved tool—to streamline the process. Copilot offered intelligent suggestions, structured ideas, and enhanced creativity, making the task more efficient and enjoyable. With company data fed directly into Microsoft Copilot, all interactions remained secure, compliant, and fully under corporate control. Now, imagine the risk of feeding confidential information to a third-party tool that uses it to train publicly accessible language models! This success highlights the critical importance of integrating AI in a secure environment, ensuring employees have safe, effective tools to boost creativity and productivity—without resorting to potentially risky alternatives they find on their own.

Using unsanctioned, third-party AI tools presents substantial security risks. These tools often lack adherence to an organization’s strict security policies, potentially exposing sensitive data to breaches, unauthorized access, or even manipulation. Employees, often unaware of these full risks, may inadvertently disclose confidential information or intellectual property, which could result in significant financial and reputational harm. A secure AI strategy is therefore essential—not only to enhance productivity but as a vital part of the organization’s risk management framework, ensuring all AI use aligns with internal and external security standards.

Microsoft Copilot: Enhancing productivity across the office suite

Microsoft Copilot improves productivity, securely, across multiple Microsoft Office applications, applications your employees already use, automating routine tasks and providing intelligent insights. Here’s how Copilot contributes to efficiency across key platforms:

• Outlook: Prioritizes emails, drafts responses, and schedules meetings with ease.
• Word: Assists in organizing ideas and improving content for clarity and coherence.
• Teams: Summarizes meetings, tracks action items, and provides real-time collaboration suggestions.
• Excel: Analyzes data trends, creates formulas, and visualizes data for actionable insights.
• PowerPoint: Offers design suggestions and structures presentations, enhancing quality with minimal input.

Embracing an AI strategy

Adopting Microsoft Copilot enables organizations to streamline workflow and foster innovation while safeguarding company assets. By providing employees with the right tools, organizations empower them to maximize productivity while adhering to security protocols. This not only improves operational efficiency but also strengthens the organization's overall security posture.

The path forward: Productivity and security

In an era of rapid technological advancement, a secure AI strategy is essential. Microsoft Copilot offers a seamless solution for boosting productivity while ensuring data security, integrating into tools employees already use with minimal learning curve. By adopting secure AI solutions, organizations can enhance performance, protect valuable data, and future-proof their operations. At Citrin Cooperman, the Microsoft professionals in our Digital Services Practice are ready to help your company unlock the full potential of Microsoft Copilot. We provide the expertise needed to develop an AI strategy that aligns with your organization’s goals, ensuring secure and efficient operations across the board.