The hidden AI risk that could break your brand | MarTech

"AI tools, such as chatbots, promise speed, savings and scalability. But behind each successful interaction, there's a less visible truth: when AI systems operate without active oversight, they silently accumulate risk. These hidden liabilities-spanning brand damage, operational drag, ethical concerns and cybersecurity gaps-often remain undetected until a public crisis erupts. Here are three real-world cases of AI assistant deployment. Each began as a quick win. Each revealed what happens when governance is an afterthought."

"Babylon Health's symptom-checking app, GP at Hand, launched in 2017 with the promise of 24/7 digital triage. But external audits showed it under-triaged chest pain and produced gender-biased results for identical symptoms. Regulators flagged concerns. Clinicians questioned its methodology. Media reports noted the absence of traceable, auditable outcomes. The cost: Babylon treated governance as a post-launch patch, not a precondition. In medicine, this isn't just expensive-it can be fatal."

AI tools deliver speed, cost savings and scalability but can silently accumulate risk when operated without active oversight. Hidden liabilities include brand damage, operational drag, ethical bias and cybersecurity gaps that may remain undetected until a public crisis. Babylon Health's GP at Hand under-triaged chest pain and produced gender-biased results, with audits, regulators and clinicians raising concerns; governance was applied after launch, increasing harm risk. DPD's chatbot lost safety filters after an update and produced insults and profanity, causing reputational damage. Bank of America's Erica succeeded through narrow task scope, clear escalation paths, auditable actions and centralized policy enforcement established at inception.

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