How Thomas Uses AI Assistants to Manage Legal and Data Privacy Work at Didomi
Discover how Thomas Adhumeau, Didomi's Chief Privacy Officer, manages Legal and Data Privacy work. Learn about his 50% time savings and improved efficiency in legal compliance tasks.
Didomi, founded in 2017, is a privacy tech company on a mission to help publishers and advertisers easily comply with privacy laws like GDPR. They make compliance straightforward and accessible, starting with their first product—a consent management platform.
You've probably seen their work through the cookie banners that pop up on websites, helping users make informed data privacy choices. The company now has over a hundred employees and customers (primarily big news publishers) worldwide - in the EU, Korea, North America, Canada, etc.
Thomas Adhumeau, Didomi's Chief Privacy Officer, ensures Didomi’s products meet legal standards, especially GDPR. He began his law career in Paris in 2011 before moving to London to work for Taylor Wessing. In 2016, Thomas transitioned into the privacy sector at AppNexus, which was acquired by Microsoft for $2 billion and later rebranded as Microsoft Ads. At AppNexus, he developed compliance protocols and collaborated with industry leaders. This experience led him to Didomi, where he works to make the compliance process more efficient and user-friendly.
Overwhelmed by Workload
In late 2022, Thomas faced a major challenge. A key team member was about to leave the company, which would increase his already demanding workload. As the person responsible for ensuring Didomi's compliance with privacy laws like GDPR, Thomas found himself stretched thin. During this stressful period, he began exploring AI solutions that could help alleviate his workload.
Thomas first used AI with ChatGPT, but it was Dust that really caught his attention. He was impressed by Dust's ability to integrate with tools he was already using on a daily basis. The fact that he could bring in his own data and create specialized AI assistants to his needs made Dust the perfect choice for managing his workload more effectively.
Thomas loved how seamlessly Dust worked with his tools and was all for Dust’s relaxed philosophy. There were no strict rules or preconceived notions; it was all about playing around, breaking things, and discovering what worked and what didn’t.
“I got interested in Dust because of your integrations with Notion, Slack, and Google Drive. This is a real game-changer for us.”
Thomas started by getting a personal subscription to Dust to test it. He then connected it to a Slack channel and immediately realized how powerful the tool was.
"People immediately started asking Dust questions. I even made an announcement in the Slack channel, welcoming Dust as our new friend who can help when I'm not available. People started playing with it, and the answers were amazing. It felt like I was already making efficiency gains. I've already solved one big problem for me."
So, Thomas proudly presented the solution to the CEO. He now systematically shares all the new use cases with the rest of the teams to encourage their use. Why? Because he wants his coworkers to adopt a new use of generative AI.
"I believe that people should change the way they perceive AI. It's not something separate from your brain; it's more like something that works in conjunction with it. Using AI requires engaging your brain properly. Through regular use, even if you don't immediately see the benefits, you become accustomed to it, and your brain starts to interact with the tool, learning to communicate clear instructions. I think of it as a muscle that needs training to understand how AI functions."
And it worked! Before diving into the specifics, a quick disclaimer from Thomas: "I don't know all the use cases because I haven't spoken to everyone using Dust at Didomi. From what I can see, since we activated the auto-join feature, more and more people are joining daily and adopting their own usage of Dust." While the following examples highlight how Thomas himself is using Dust, many other Didomi employees are finding their own ways to benefit from the tool.
The legal aspect of using AI
As Didomi integrates AI into its operations, Thomas stresses the importance of securing data. Even though there aren't any strict AI-specific laws right now, it's still important to secure data and monitor whether any confidential information is entering the AI. This flexibility means employees must be trusted to use AI responsibly and adhere to company guidelines and privacy laws.
“We're training our employees, making sure that they know there are rules they need to follow. In particular, when it comes to the confidentiality of the information they will share with the AI.”
Thomas also mentions how using multiple Large Language Models (LLMs) within Dust is a clever way to handle risks. If one model runs into problems, customers can easily switch to another, which keeps things running smoothly and compliantly.
"The fact that you're relying on many language model models, if there is a problem with one of them, your customers can switch to another. So, from that standpoint, you're protected. For example, GPT is having trouble with the data protection authority in Italy. If they have a problem one day, customers could leave. We could switch to Anthropic or Mistral if there is a problem with GPT. So that's an important point."
How Thomas is Using Dust
Using AI was a huge time-saver for Thomas. “I would say 50% of my time was saved using AI.” Here are a few use cases that completely changed his workflow and workload.
The Q&A Slack Channel Assistant
Thomas originally created the Q&A Slack channel to foster an open environment where employees could ask any privacy or legal questions. The idea was that everyone would have access to the channel in order to learn from responses to common questions. However, over time, it turned into more of a ticketing system where Thomas was often handling similar questions.
Integrating Dust with the Slack channel was a game-changer. The assistant Thomas created can access and provide answers based on his responses to questions asked over the last two years. Employees can now query Dust and get instant answers, which are linked to Thomas's previous responses for confirmation.
This setup means employees no longer have to wait for Thomas to be available. While they sometimes still need his confirmation, they can get preliminary answers quickly. Dust's ability to find and reference old answers, even when questions are phrased differently, has impressed and built confidence among the team.
"The fact that the Slack channel was public didn't help that much because it was used almost like a ticketing tool. But by connecting Dust to all the answers that I've provided for the past two years, people can get answers even when I’m not around."
The Personal Law Assistant
Building on the success of the Slack integration, Thomas looked for other ways to incorporate Dust into his daily workflow.
With Didomi expanding into various markets, each with its own privacy laws, Thomas needed a way to access and interpret vast amounts of legal information quickly. Privacy laws, like GDPR, can be incredibly lengthy and complex, with some documents stretching over 200 pages. This was the case in other jurisdictions like California, Colorado, and Washington as well.
To tackle this, Thomas created assistants for each jurisdiction by feeding Dust the relevant laws and guidelines for the location. These AI assistants acted as sophisticated search engines, making it easier for Thomas to look up local regulations and understand their implications.
Thomas also used these personal law assistants as brainstorming partners. They helped him anticipate potential legal challenges by verifying his interpretations and showing how other lawyers might challenge his views. This personal law assistant helps Thomas understand and navigate local privacy regulations in multiple different locations.
"I'm not trying to replace my job with AI. It's more like it makes it easier for me to look at the regulation. I also use it to brainstorm. I tell it, ‘This is what I think, but what do you think other lawyers would say to my interpretation? How could you challenge my interpretation of the law?’ It’s a powerful tool for brainstorming and anticipating our customers’ needs ."
The Compliance Assistant
Another challenge Thomas faced was ensuring that GDPR texts for cookie banners were compliant. Every day, he received texts meant for these banners on websites, and they needed to meet both legal and industry standards. Any mistakes could hurt Didomi's reputation, so accuracy was crucial.
To tackle this, Thomas designed a Dust assistant to handle the texts. He built the assistant so that he no longer had to use prompts; instead, he just copied and pasted the text, and the assistant took over. It checked the text for missing elements, suggested necessary changes, and drafted an email to the customer. If everything was correct, the assistant confirmed it. If not, it highlighted what needed fixing and showed the changes in bold.
This assistant could handle texts in multiple languages, which was a huge help since Thomas had to revise texts in languages he didn't speak. With this assistant, Thomas can guarantee that texts in any language are compliant, keeping Didomi's standards high and protecting its reputation.
"I created an assistant to check the points I usually review myself. Now, I just copy and paste the text, and the assistant does the rest. It highlights what's missing, suggests changes, and drafts the email to the customer. The only remaining task is to review and adjust the text before sending it."
New & Improved Workflows at Didomi
Thomas's use of Dust completely changed his daily workflow and Didomi's overall efficiency. By incorporating Dust into his routine, Thomas estimates that he can complete tasks about 50% quicker than before. This was especially important when a team member left in December, leaving him with additional responsibilities. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, Thomas was able to use AI to fill the gap partially.
Using Dust assistants, Thomas can focus on more valuable tasks for the company. Instead of spending hours answering questions, he now dedicates his time to strategic work, making his job more manageable and fulfilling. This shift not only increases his productivity but also improves overall company efficiency, as employees no longer have to wait for Thomas to answer their legal questions. They've become more self-sufficient, finding answers quickly and easily with Dust.
Dust has also made a big difference in handling international clients. Thomas can now manage legal texts in multiple languages, allowing Didomi to efficiently serve companies in countries where he doesn't speak the language. This has expanded Didomi's ability to operate in new markets without worrying about a language barrier.
"I think people need to change how they view AI. It's not just an add-on to your brain; it's an extension of it. You still need to use your brain properly to make the most of AI. The best way to do this is by using it regularly. Over time, you'll learn to communicate clear instructions to the tool. It's like training a muscle; the more you use it, the better you get."
Thomas Adhumeau's journey from being overwhelmed to empowered through the use of AI is a testament to the transformative potential of technology. By creating tailored Dust assistants, he not only overcame his immediate challenges but also set a precedent for innovation at Didomi. The success of Thomas's assistants has impressed the company's CEO, and now others have started creating their own Dust assistants. His story serves as an inspiration for professionals across industries to explore and harness the power of AI in their own workflows.