What does AI actually do?
Artificial intelligence covers a range of methods. Generative AI can create text, images or drafts based on learned patterns and your instructions. It can structure information, suggest wording and compare possible approaches.
Fluent writing is not proof of accuracy. A system may invent information, confuse relationships or misunderstand your situation. The better we understand the task and its limits, the more thoughtfully we can use the result.
Yes, AI has downsides
Invented sources, biased suggestions, manipulated images and convincing misinformation are among the risks. So are confidential data entered carelessly into an unsuitable tool and content that loses its personal voice.
Accepting answers without checking them may save effort in the wrong place. A survey of 319 knowledge workers published at CHI 2025 describes self-reported changes in critical thinking effort. It does not prove that AI generally makes people slower or less intelligent. For us, it is a reason to keep independent review firmly in the workflow.
Stay involved in the thinking
We can ask AI to challenge an idea, suggest alternatives or reveal uncertainties. An apparently finished answer then becomes a starting point for further thought.
For a non-confidential draft, try asking: What assumptions does this contain? What information is missing? Which counterarguments should I check? These answers also need your judgement. Your expertise and responsibility remain essential.
Privacy comes before the first prompt
The Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner points out that Swiss data protection law also applies to AI-assisted processing of personal data. A practical starting point therefore requires clear workplace rules.
For exercises, we use fictional examples or approved information without personal data. Real patient records, personnel files and confidential client information should never be entered into a chat without careful consideration. Removing names does not always make someone unidentifiable.
- Which tools has the organisation approved, and for which purposes?
- What information may staff enter, and what must stay out?
- Who checks storage, access and potential further use of data?
- Who reviews sensitive results and approves their use?
A workflow that can help in everyday work
Imagine your team preparing a general invitation to an information evening. No patient data is needed. The aim is clear writing that genuinely fits your organisation.
- 1. Clarify the task yourself: audience, date, location, purpose and tone.
- 2. Prepare safely: use only necessary, approved information.
- 3. Give a focused brief: request two short drafts and ask for missing details to be flagged, not invented.
- 4. Review as a person: check facts, language, completeness and impact. Add your own experience.
- 5. Approve and compare: use the reviewed text and assess whether the whole process saved time while maintaining quality.
Where could your team benefit?
Suitable starting points include outlining a workshop, generating content plan ideas, simplifying an approved information text or turning non-sensitive notes into a checklist. Comparing ways to phrase a difficult message can also support your own writing.
Time savings are not automatic. If a result needs extensive correction, the task or tool may have been unsuitable. Start small and assess preparation, review and revision together.
Our workshop: privacy, application and workflow
In the Digital Next Digital & AI Workflow workshop, we work through examples suited to your team's daily tasks. We first clarify the safe boundaries, then practise clear instructions and reviewing results. Finally, we connect the steps into a workflow with defined responsibilities.
Your staff should feel better equipped to decide where AI helps, where closer checking is needed and where to leave it out. Privacy questions requiring individual legal or technical assessment are addressed with the responsible specialists.
Would you like to identify a useful first application for your team? Let's discuss your tasks and a suitable workshop.