Navigating AI Risks and Rewards: Kevin Colborn Featured in WBJ’s Ask the Expert Series

The Wichita Business Journal’s Ask the Expert series spotlights influential professionals who are helping shape the future of business in the Wichita region and beyond.

In this special edition dedicated to artificial intelligence, Kevin shared how AI is rapidly becoming an essential part of daily operations, from automating workflows to generating insights at scale. His feature doesn’t just highlight the promise of AI—it also explores the less obvious challenges, including data privacy, compliance risks, and the steep learning curve many organizations face when introducing new technology without a clear roadmap.

For High Touch, contributing to this conversation reflects our role as a technology partner committed to helping businesses thrive in an increasingly digital world. Whether you’re integrating AI-powered tools, modernizing your infrastructure, or safeguarding sensitive data, we believe success begins with knowledge and a proactive strategy.

1.    What Risks Should Businesses Be Concerned About When Employees Start Using AI Tools Like ChatGPT on the Job, Especially Without IT’s Knowledge?

If you don’t think your employees are already using AI at work, you’re probably wrong. Many are already using their personal accounts to access tools like ChatGPT, often pasting in proprietary company data or client information to make their jobs easier. They probably don’t have malicious intent, but that doesn’t make the data exposure any less risky.

Our new reality is that AI tools are just another part of the workplace. What’s missing from many organizations is intentional oversight—for example, clear usage policies, internal training, and guardrails around what’s safe to share. Without these protections, employees might inadvertently leak intellectual property, violate compliance frameworks (such as HIPAA), or expose sensitive customer information to large language models that retain and retrain on that data, making it publicly accessible.

We recommend approaching AI with the same mindset as shadow IT. Assume it’s already happening in your organization. From there, build a framework to manage it responsibly.

2.    Where Does a Technology Partner Fit Into a Successful AI Journey, and What’s the Risk if You Go It Alone?

A trusted technology partner plays a critical role in helping businesses integrate AI thoughtfully and safely.

Why?

We’ve seen the pitfalls, and we know how to help other organizations avoid them. When companies attempt to adopt AI on their own, they often underestimate the true cost, both financially and operationally. Licensing creep, unexpected usage fees, and poor configuration decisions can spiral out of control quickly. Additionally, there’s a reputational risk if client or customer data is exposed through the careless use of public AI tools. Don’t forget the danger of intellectual property being shared, reused, or made open source if the wrong licenses are accepted.

We work with businesses to tailor their AI strategy according to their specific goals, maturity level, and industry. There’s no one-size-fits-all path. Having a partner who understands your environment is the difference between a successful journey and a costly experiment.

3.    What Guardrails and Risk Assessments Should Organizations Put in Place Before Rolling Out AI Companywide?

Many businesses don’t realize that default settings in common platforms, like Microsoft 365, can lead to widespread data exposure. For example, a simple shared link might default to “anyone in the organization,” making it easier than you’d expect for an AI to index that data and surface it in someone else’s prompt. That’s not theoretical—it’s happened.

Effective guardrails start with things like:

• Reviewing access control lists and permission structures.
• Classifying sensitive data like personally identifiable information (PII) or Social Security numbers.
• For software companies—restricting access to public repositories that could legally obligate your source code to be made public.
• Leveraging internal AI tools with enterprise-grade privacy settings.

Frameworks like NIST’s AI Risk Management can be helpful, but they’re often too heavy for small or mid-sized businesses. A scaled-down version, combined with a cybersecurity risk assessment, is usually a better fit.

At High Touch, we can help clients identify how and where AI tools are already being utilized within their organizations, prioritizing where they need to start implementing guardrails and cybersecurity measures.

4.    What’s More Dangerous: Not Using AI at All or Using It Without a Strategy?

Not using AI is no longer a viable option. It’s built into the tools employees use every day, whether you’ve officially rolled them out or not. From Copilot in Microsoft apps to generative features in CRMs and email platforms, it’s already in your system.

Saying “we’re not using AI” is the same thing as saying “we don’t have a policy.”

If your team doesn’t know what’s safe to input or which tools are approved, they’ll make their own decisions. That’s when data leaks happen. The better approach is to acknowledge reality and get ahead of it with an intentional strategy.

5.    How Do You Move From Curiosity to Confidence When It Comes to AI?

Businesses should be treating AI like any other initiative—with intention, training, and measurable goals.

AI can be a powerful tool, but without direction, it quickly becomes underutilized or misapplied. The best approach is to start embedding AI into your workflows with a clear purpose. For example, a software company might set dedicated sprint goals focused on experimenting with AI to enhance productivity. That kind of structured exploration helps teams discover practical use cases that align with their day-to-day work.

Like any skill, AI takes practice. Once you start experimenting in a structured way, your confidence starts to grow. Employees stop asking, “Can I use AI,” and start asking, “How can I use it better?”

Kevin’s perspective in the Wichita Business Journal reflects a truth we see every day—AI is here to stay, and the organizations that approach it with strategy and foresight will be the ones who succeed.

At High Touch Technologies, we’re committed to being the trusted partner you can rely on as technology continues to evolve. Whether you’re strengthening your cybersecurity posture, planning an AI initiative, or modernizing your IT infrastructure, our team is ready to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Ready to explore what’s next? Connect with us today and discover how secure, intentional technology can power your business for years to come.