Companies are moving fast to put AI into chatbots, virtual assistants, and other customer service tools. But for CIOs, that comes with a risk: if the technology gives customers the wrong information, makes biased recommendations, or mishandles data, it can immediately damage the trust companies have worked hard to build.

Unlike conventional software, gen AI doesn’t always give the same answer to the same question. An answer can sound confident and convincing while still wrong. And when customers rely on AI for information about their finances, insurance, or health, a mistake can have much greater consequences.

Sumit Johar, CIO at cloud-based software company BlackLine, understands that inaccurate AI responses hurt the customer experience, force companies to spend money and resources to fix problems, damage the brand, and create regulatory risks. AI systems can also expose confidential information, making it important for companies to understand the data sources behind their responses.