Artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere. However, there are many aspects that need to be considered when using AI for business purposes — yet these are often overlooked.
Estonian IT entrepreneurs took up the topic once again and organized a cybersecurity campaign for the second time, this time focusing on the secure use of artificial intelligence. The campaign sought participation from small and medium-sized enterprises that had significantly integrated AI into their business processes and were willing to allow ITL security experts to assess the risks associated with their AI-based systems and products. Estonian companies Moticheck and Flowit Estonia participated in the campaign.
Although next year marks 70 years since the term “artificial intelligence” was first introduced, the widespread use of AI technologies has only surged after breakthroughs in image recognition and the adoption of large language models. The AI market is expected to grow to $407 billion by 2027.
“In Estonia, the adoption of artificial intelligence has been on a steep upward trend—at least in discussions,” explains Kalev Pihl, head of ITL’s Information Security Council. “AI solutions are part of the broader automation and digitalization trend that we all encounter daily, both in our personal and professional lives. ITL considers the smart and well-managed adoption of AI critical for maintaining and enhancing Estonia’s competitiveness. However, business leaders must recognize that there is still no such thing as a free lunch. A powerful assistant also brings new risks that need to be mitigated, avoided, or accepted in appropriate ways.”
Martin Rajasalu, CEO of Moticheck, noted that both the need and interest in AI and data-driven solutions for organizational management and workplace well-being are rapidly growing in the Estonian market. “AI has outgrown its sandbox phase and has become a valuable tool for executives and leaders in organizations,” Rajasalu said, highlighting industry trends. “It is crucial that management software solutions are secure and that risks are mitigated—especially when the well-being of thousands of employees is at stake. That is why it was invaluable to leverage the extensive expertise of Estonian specialists through this campaign. Their insights helped us see our service from an external perspective, identify potential pitfalls, and provide valuable input for our future product development,” added the Moticheck CEO.
“Data is the new gold—it forms a significant part of our service portfolio,” says Andres Aavik, partner and CEO of Flowit Estonia, an ITL member company that participated in the campaign. “At the same time, data and its processing—especially when AI is involved—pose significant risks. The questions of whether we can trust our data and whether we are certain that external parties cannot access it are more important today than ever before. The campaign reassured us that we are on the right track and gave confidence to our clients as well.”
Dan Bogdanov, Research Director at AS Cybernetica, also believes that properly implemented AI can enhance a company’s efficiency, but those adopting it must consider cybersecurity, legal issues, and safety. “We want to see even more Estonian companies using AI to improve their efficiency. Our methodology is suitable for small businesses but can also benefit large enterprises.” In addition to the methodology developed in collaboration between the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) and Cybernetica, the OIXIO team assessed security risks related to the cloud infrastructure of the participating companies.
As a result of discussions between companies and experts during the campaign, a set of best practices titled “Good Practices for Developing AI Systems” was created. This guide is intended for IT companies within ITL that offer AI solutions on the market. However, companies from other sectors could also explicitly require their IT service providers to adhere to these guidelines. The document can be found on the ITL website at: https://itl.ee/turvalineAI/.
The campaign was supported by ITL member companies Cybernetica, SK ID Solutions, OIXIO, Lean Digital, and CybExer Technologies.
