Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword across industries, promising revolutionary changes and enhanced efficiencies.
However, as the allure of AI grows, so does the temptation for companies to misrepresent their offerings—a phenomenon known as “AI washing.”
This trend involves exaggerating or falsely claiming AI capabilities in their products or services to attract customers and investors when, in reality, they are not, or the AI components are minimal.
Similar to “greenwashing”—where companies falsely claim to be environmentally friendly—AI washing aims to capitalise on the current AI hype.
By branding their products as AI-driven, companies seek to enhance their appeal in a competitive market, even if the technology doesn’t live up to the claims.
AI washing can take many forms, but some common tactics include:
Misleading Marketing: Companies often use vague language and buzzwords like “machine learning” and “deep learning” in their marketing materials, even if their products do not employ these technologies in any meaningful way.
Basic Automation as AI: Simple rule-based automation, which has existed for decades, is frequently marketed as AI. This misrepresents the true capabilities of the technology, leading customers to believe they are purchasing something far more advanced than it actually is.
Opaque Descriptions: By providing little to no transparency about how their systems work, companies can claim AI capabilities without needing to prove them. This makes it difficult for consumers to evaluate whether the product genuinely uses AI.
Why AI Washing Is Detrimental
When companies overpromise and underdeliver on AI, it damages consumer trust not only in the company but also in AI technologies more broadly.
This scepticism can slow down the adoption of legitimate AI innovations.
Businesses may invest in AI-washed products expecting transformative results, only to find that these tools do not meet their needs. This results in wasted time, money, and effort.
What Does the Law Say About AI Washing?
As AI washing becomes more prevalent, governments and regulatory bodies are beginning to take notice.
In short, regulators are starting to crack down on misleading AI claims.
For instance, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said they charged two investment advisory firms for making deceptive claims about using AI in their offerings.
Meanwhile, in the UK, existing regulations, including the Advertising Standards Authority’s code of conduct, mandate that marketing must not be misleading. AI-related claims are increasingly scrutinised.
Misleading or overstated AI claims can lead to legal consequences, which in turn can stifle innovation by creating a more challenging regulatory environment.
Why UniFi is Different
Unlike many platforms that merely capitalise on the AI buzz, UniFi genuinely integrates AI into its core functionalities. Here’s how:
1. AI Services
The UniFi platform provides you with user-friendly AI Services that can be tailored to meet your business needs.
Users can add these AI Services to UniFi applications without any AI experience and such as applying to any field to imitate human behaviour.
The ChatGPT-powered AI Services can recognise document context and perform advanced tasks beyond simple field identification.
For example, it can automatically categorise a rail ticket as a travel expense and code it accordingly, streamlining your accounting processes and reducing human error.
With AI services, you have the flexibility to select from a range of service types tailored to specific tasks.
These include default services like ‘Invoice & Receipt’ or ‘Forms’ or even a more advanced option with the potential for additional services in the future.
2. Accounting Automation
UniFi’s Accounting Automation is a standout feature that sets it apart in the world of financial technology.
Unlike other solutions that only automate approvals, UniFi goes beyond approvals and automates accounting postings to your accounting system. This capability is unique to UniFi, and no other solution on the market offers it.
While other solutions can only automate approvals, they still need a human to manually post to an accounting system. UniFi transcends this limitation, saving a significant amount of time, reducing the need for manual intervention, and freeing up valuable resources.
3. Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
UniFi RPA doesn’t just automate repetitive tasks—it mimics human behaviour.
This AI-powered feature can execute tasks such as clicking through interfaces and entering data just as a human would.
This capability is far beyond simple automation, marking a significant advancement in AI-driven process automation.
4. Advanced Data Capturing
UniFi comes with a feature called Autonomous Data Capture, which leverages advanced AI and machine learning to revolutionise document processing.
Unlike traditional OCR (Optical Character Recognition), which simply converts printed text into a digital format, this feature not only reads but also intelligently understands and processes the content of documents.
It can automatically categorise documents, flag anomalies like mismatched or suspicious information, and extract relevant data at scale, all without the need for manual input.
Approvals can be set at any stage of the workflow, providing complete control while allowing it to operate seamlessly in the background.
UniFi’s AI and machine learning capabilities offer a smarter, more efficient solution for document management, helping businesses stay ahead with intelligent automation.
Conclusion
AI washing is a growing concern that undermines trust in technology and leads to wasted resources.
As regulators crack down on deceptive AI claims, it’s more important than ever for companies to be transparent about their AI capabilities.
UniFi stands out in this space by genuinely integrating AI into its platform, offering real, transformative solutions rather than superficial AI features.
From AI-driven recognition services to advanced data capturing and RPA, UniFi demonstrates that true AI innovation is about more than just marketing—it’s about delivering real value to businesses.
Want to see UniFi in action? Book a free demo now!