Generative AI’s Rapid Adoption: From Newsrooms to Boardrooms—A New Era of AI Integration

© 2025 Freddie Seba. All rights reserved.

GenAI Ethics for Leaders Newsletter #3: Thinking About Privacy, Security, and IP Challenges in the AI Era

Generative AI (GenAI) adoption rapidly expands across industries, reshaping how we think about business, media, and governance. A recent example comes from “The New York Times, which has greenlighted AI tools for its editorial and product teams. The move allows internal tools to assist in writing social media copy, SEO headlines, and coding tasks. Notably, The Times has introduced a new internal GenAI tool, Echo. It is training staff on the ethical use of GenAI to assist with journalism, unveiling AI’s potential to uncover truths and support deeper reporting capabilities”.

The NYT move represents just one example of the broader trend: AI is now essential in every sector. This newsletter explores how leaders must navigate the complexities of GenAI adoption—ensuring privacy, security, and intellectual property (IP) remain at the forefront as GenAI becomes central to the workforce.

-Note: This content was previously published on LinkedIn as Article #3. We are now transitioning to this newsletter format to make it more accessible and convenient for readers to engage with these critical discussions directly in their inboxes.

Recap of Previous Installments

Our previous editions covered critical leadership insights on why generative AI ethics should be a priority for organizations and how GenAI can shape industries such as healthcare, education, and finance. In Newsletter #1, we examined the unprecedented pace of AI innovation. In Newsletter #2, we discussed why GenAI ethics should be a core leadership focus, drawing attention to bias, transparency, and governance as essential principles.

Why Privacy, Security, and IP are Key to Responsible AI Adoption

As GenAI is integrated across many industries, the intersection of privacy, security, and intellectual property (IP) challenges raises new concerns for organizations. It’s not just about building productive and cost-effective GenAI solutions—effective leaders must keep in mind their GenAI ethical framework concerning their own and others’ data, protect their consumer’s and employees’ privacy, and secure critical information from potential misuse.

  • Privacy Considerations: GenAI processes large amounts of data, including personal data, so ensuring compliance with laws that regulate your industry, like FERPA in education or HIPAA in healthcare, is paramount. How can effective leaders ensure GenAI applications respect privacy while driving business growth and profitability centered on human values?
  • Security Risks: GenAI can be a double-edged sword. While it creates innovative solutions, GenAI can open new vulnerabilities and be prone to cyber-attacks. Security frameworks must be overhauled to meet and exceed the new GenAI realities and vulnerabilities.
  • IP Ownership: As GenAI tools ingest and generate content, from text, audio, and video to software code, defining ownership and protecting intellectual property becomes increasingly complex and challenging yet critical for Leaective leaders.

GenAI Ethics Frameworks: A Leadership Roadmap for Privacy, Security, and IP

Effective leaders should align their GenAI strategies with their GenAI ethics frameworks:

  • Data Privacy: Ensure your team is mindful of GenAI-first privacy policy considerations when designing solutions that ingest, process, and store personal or sensitive data.
  • Cybersecurity: Ensure your team knows GenAI-first-specific security vulnerabilities and mitigating strategies to safeguard against these technology attacks.
  • IP Guidelines: Make sure your team observes your GenAI ethics framework and follows its guidelines around content ownership, ensuring clarity for creators, businesses, and consumers.

A Roadmap for Ethical GenAI Leadership

  • Transparency Note: This newsletter integrates insights from my ongoing research and hands-on leadership experience in GenAI ethics. As seen in my LinkedIn article section, this content was previously shared in my LinkedIn articles and is now available to you in this more structured newsletter format for your convenience. This content is also available at other venues, including Freddieseba.com
  • Practical Leadership Insights: Actionable strategies from my experience in AI-first startups, academia, and corporate leadership.
  • Adapting to AI Risks & Opportunities: Keeping pace with rapid AI advancements and evolving privacy and security challenges.
  • Community-Driven Learning: Engaging leaders in meaningful discussions about AI adoption and ethical practices.

Leadership Reflection: Preparing for GenAI’s Privacy, Security, and IP Challenges

  • Subscribe to the GenAI Ethics for Leaders Newsletter for expert insights on AI ethics, leadership, and strategy.
  • Like this article and share your thoughts in the comments!
  • How does your organization approach privacy and security in AI initiatives?
  • What steps can you take today to ensure AI adoption aligns with your organization’s privacy, security, and ethical standards?

Let’s shape AI’s future together—ensuring it enhances humanity rather than undermining it.

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  • Next Issue: GenAI Ethics #4: Navigating Algorithmic Bias and Fairness in AI Solutions

About the Author

Freddie Seba MBA | MIP | EdD Candidate in Organizational Leadership focusing on GenAI Ethics | AI Ethics Thought Leader & Speaker | Faculty | Serial Entrepreneur | Former Global Corporate Executive | Lifelong Learner

Useful Links

  • Harvard Business Review – Eliminating Algorithmic Bias Is Just the Beginning of Equitable AI. Simon Friis and James Riley, September 29, 2023. Read more
  • McKinsey & Co. – As Gen AI Advances, Regulators—and Risk Functions—Rush to Keep Pace. December 21, 2023. Read more
  • Semafor – The New York Times Opens Up Generative AI for Editorial Staff https://www.semafor.com/article/02/16/2025/new-york-times-goes-all-in-on-internal-ai-tools.

Mentions:

University of San Francisco • USF School of Nursing and Health Professions • AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association) • American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

#GenAI #AIethics #Leadership #HumanCenteredAI #ResponsibleAI #DigitalTransformation