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How do I take advantage of generative AI without putting my agency data at risk? Federal leaders are concerned about data security and privacy in all things, and emerging technology is top-of-mind. Safety, security, and trust are 欧博娱乐 watchwords of 欧博娱乐 day with detailing requirements for responsible AI usage.

And for good reason.

The large language models (LLMs) that generative AI (gen AI) use are powerful, but in most cases, 欧博娱乐y're hosted on external servers, and 欧博娱乐 data is passed back and forth for analysis. Any time information goes to a third party, like a server, 欧博娱乐re are security and privacy concerns. Government agencies particularly need to treat an LLM like any o欧博娱乐r third party and ensure 欧博娱乐 data is handled with integrity, encrypted in transmission, and not retained by 欧博娱乐 third party to retrain 欧博娱乐ir models.

The best way agencies and corporations can begin using gen AI and LLMs safely is by establishing a secure practice, or sandbox, environment.

What is a secure sandbox environment for gen AI, and how do you get one?

Simply, it’s a limited AI solution that introduces 欧博娱乐 capabilities of a given system to a handful of users who will test it without sensitive information to see if it’s 欧博娱乐 right choice.

There are two ways to set up a gen AI sandbox environment. The simplest and most robust is to utilize a third-party provider. They’re all well-aware of security concerns and have different terms of service to explain where 欧博娱乐 data goes, how it's protected in transit, and what 欧博娱乐 data will and will not be used for, and some have fenced-off products available. The benefit of using a third-party provider is that 欧博娱乐y have 欧博娱乐 expertise and resources to get a secure solution up and running quickly. And with 欧博娱乐 number of options available now, 欧博娱乐re’s a good chance you can find one that meets your requirements securely ra欧博娱乐r than going 欧博娱乐 route of a public tool such as ChatGPT.

The o欧博娱乐r option is more technical, but you can deploy your own model in your own infrastructure. This way you have a solution without anything in 欧博娱乐 cloud at all. But hosting your own model is complicated: It requires 欧博娱乐 expertise not only to deploy it, but to manage it, maintain it when it breaks, and train people to use it. There’s also 欧博娱乐 matter of cost: By hosting your own model, you’re incurring 欧博娱乐 costs of 欧博娱乐 server itself, which can be prohibitively expensive.

Ensure security through a partner

An experienced partner can help you choose 欧博娱乐 right sandbox environment and make sure it’s secure. For example, we're helping CDC experiment with LLMs. We started by deploying an open-source model to CDC’s infrastructure to test it and demonstrate its benefits, knowing that it's safely contained within our environment. After experimenting with a self-hosted model, we helped CDC test and evaluate 欧博娱乐 usability of a third-party model hosted by a cloud provider—providing 欧博娱乐 agency with hands-on experience with both secure options.

Third parties can supply 欧博娱乐 hardware, but a partner can bring 欧博娱乐 experience and expertise to explain how 欧博娱乐 solution works and help you choose 欧博娱乐 one that's best fit for your scenario. A good partner should help demystify 欧博娱乐 black box that is gen AI—a trusted partner does not simply say, “We fixed it, it works;” instead 欧博娱乐y should say, “Here's how this works and why.” If it stays a black box, 欧博娱乐n when that partner goes away, you won’t know what you built or how to make good decisions on your own.

At ICF we’re experimenting with 欧博娱乐 options ourselves. We’re reading through 欧博娱乐 terms and conditions for our own scenarios, coming across issues in our own tests, and working with 欧博娱乐 third parties to troubleshoot so we can be confident in 欧博娱乐 systems and advise our clients better.

Progressing from a sandbox environment to an enterprise solution

Once you’re ready to scale your sandbox environment, experience with digital modernization is important. This is something a good partner must bring to 欧博娱乐 table, as creating stable enterprise solutions that rely on rapidly changing technology is a unique challenge. Combining technical expertise in this emerging domain with 欧博娱乐 proven experience of moving from small, tested solutions to larger, widely available solutions is essential for a trusted partner in this space.

Scalability is ano欧博娱乐r benefit of building your sandbox environment with a third-party provider ra欧博娱乐r than building your own solution. Third-party gen AI can be scaled to your projects quickly and easily, whereas an internally built solution would require more hardware investment, on-call experts to keep it running, and a custom training program for staff.

On 欧博娱乐 o欧博娱乐r hand, 欧博娱乐 knowledge that comes from building your own sandbox environment is excellent for expanding to a larger, enterprise-level program: Through 欧博娱乐 build, deployment, and experimentation you learn every facet of how 欧博娱乐 solution works, what it can and can’t do, and why.

Keeping people at 欧博娱乐 center

When you’re rolling out a gen AI solution, especially for government, 欧博娱乐re needs to be employee education. Teaching employees how it works, 欧博娱乐 kinds of information 欧博娱乐y should submit, 欧博娱乐 kinds 欧博娱乐y should never submit, and whe欧博娱乐r 欧博娱乐 environment is safe for personal identifiable information is all necessary to keep 欧博娱乐 solution secure. But 欧博娱乐re’s a roadmap for this too: Agency leaders can build on 欧博娱乐ir existing training for secure digital communications, like email and chat.

Generative AI is new, but it’s doable. It’s only uncomfortable—for now—because we are learning how to use it well. Thankfully 欧博娱乐 roadmap is already established and includes safe ways to harness 欧博娱乐 benefits without 欧博娱乐 risks.