You’ve probably heard the term “greenwashing,” a form of advertising spin that misleads consumers into thinking a product is eco-friendly. Those in technical roles may recall a similar “cloud washing” trend that began in the late aughts as companies sought to quickly jump on the cloud computing bandwagon. Deceptive messaging made it difficult for some decision-makers to look beyond the buzzword, and both practices prompted standard-bearers and even government agencies to issue warnings. 

Now, meet “AI washing,” a deceptive practice that prompted the FTC to warn marketers to “keep their AI claims in check.” But as AI becomes more ubiquitous, with a third of organizations saying they use generative AI regularly, overhyped solutions continue to muddy the waters.

Companies deserve to know the difference when choosing a SaaS partner, especially in the CAM space, where sensitive homeowner and financial data is involved. Let’s look at the fundamentals of true AI and red flags signaling AI washing.

What does real generative AI look like?

Congress defines AI as “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.” True AI solutions should be able to handle complex tasks, demonstrate human-like intelligence, and learn over time — not simply rely on pre-programmed templates or basic algorithms. 

Perhaps the more pertinent question is whether the “AI” product at hand provides real value. That was CINC’s guiding light when we built Cephai, the first true generative AI solution in the CAM space. We custom-built Cephai to provide the optimal homeowner experience and produce tangible business outcomes.

Cephai can handle complex tasks, unlike rules-based chatbots claiming to be AI-powered. Non-AI automation solutions don’t learn over time, whereas Cephai is capable of scouring countless data sources to generate intelligent responses and continuously improve. Solutions that rely on “if this, then that” business rules may be guilty of AI washing; asking about data requirements, training models, and outcomes or case studies is a great way to vet potential AI technology solutions.

Other signs AI claims may be exaggerated

Some companies tout their AI capabilities when, in reality, they have cobbled together a solution using third-party vendors. Developing AI products requires a robust team of specialists, like engineers with machine-learning skill sets. Ask to learn more about the AI talent on staff and, better yet, whether a tech-savvy executive team oversees security and long-term product strategy.

With the largest development team in the entire industry, we evaluate new innovations carefully with an eye toward security and providing the optimal homeowner experience.

Are you aware of the risks?

By allowing certain AI tools to access data, CAM companies can risk exposing sensitive information. For example, anything you share with ChatGPT can be retained and used to train the model, and companies like Samsung have banned it after unintentional leaks. Another risk of poorly implemented AI is introducing accidental bias.

AI vendors should be transparent about their data sources and back up security claims with credentials. At CINC Systems, we evaluate all new innovations carefully with an eye toward security, and are the only CAM software that’s SOC 2 Type II certified and Veracode Verified. 

How else is Cephai different??

Cephai isn’t an add-on; it’s now available in the CINC Homeowner app and is free to all CINC Systems customers. Cephai is available for both iOS and Android devices and can be fully customized with the customer’s branding. Best of all? It frees community managers from tasks like responding to routine emails, saving management companies up to 30 hours per week and freeing managers to focus on more impactful work.

Take a tour on our website, check out our webinar recording for details and frequently asked questions, or reach out to our team to learn more!