Artificial Intelligence, Policy 246

Policy 

This policy establishes expectations for the appropriate and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in classrooms, school management, and systemwide operations.

 

With permission from an instructor or supervisor, AI technology may be used by employees to support professional responsibilities and by students to enhance educational outcomes.  In all cases, individuals who use AI remain solely responsible for the accuracy, originality, and appropriateness of any content, assignments or work generated with AI assistance. 

 

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for the ethical and effective use of AI technology while protecting privacy, maintaining academic integrity, and mitigating potential risks associated with AI technologies. 

 

This policy applies to employees, students, contractors, and other individuals who use AI technologies that are provided by or utilized within the technology center.  Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the technology center’s disciplinary policies.

 

Definitions  

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Technology that enables machines to perform tasks that  typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding natural language. AI includes machine learning and generative AI. 

2. Machine Learning (ML): A subset of AI that involves the development of algorithms that allow computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. 

3. Generative AI: AI capable of generating text, images, or other media in response to prompts. 

4. Agent: An autonomous or semi-autonomous software system driven by artificial intelligence that can perceive its environment, reason to establish plans, and execute actions to achieve specific goals with limited or no human intervention.

 

Acceptable Use  

1.       Instructor Permission: In general, the use of AI technology by students in the completion of an assignment will not be permitted absent permission from the instructor. Permission may be granted in blanket form to be applicable for the duration of the class or on a case-by-case basis. If a student has any question whether AI is permitted by an instructor or appropriate for use, it is the student’s responsibility to confirm with the instructor prior to utilizing AI.  Using AI without express permission may negatively impact a student’s grade or result in dismissal from the class, applicable program, or technology center.  Furthermore, AI use by students should be supervised and guided within the relevant educational framework.   

2.       Educational Enhancement: AI technologies may be used only to support educational objectives and improve learning outcomes. They should complement and enhance teaching and learning processes. Users of AI technologies should exercise good judgment when utilizing AI technologies and be cognizant of the risks associated with AI technologies, including but not limited to the generation of erroneous information and the potential negative impact on learning, curriculum alignment, and academic work. Instructors and students are expected to review outputs generated by AI for accuracy, relevancy, and appropriateness before use.  

3.       Compliance with Laws and Policies: All AI applications must comply with relevant federal, state, and local laws, as well as technology center policies, including, but not limited to, those related to data privacy, copyright and intellectual infringement, cybersecurity, and nondiscrimination.  

4.       Data Privacy: The use of AI must protect the privacy and security of student and staff data. Personally identifiable information (PII) must not be shared or processed through AI applications without explicit consent, except as permitted by law. Additionally, parties using AI are encouraged to review applicable privacy policies of the AI provider before use.  

5.       Transparency and Accountability: AI tools used in the technology center — such as those for grading, analyzing student data, or automating tasks — must be used transparently and responsibly.

 

Prohibited Use 

1.       Bias and Discrimination: AI systems must not be used in ways that perpetuate or amplify bias or discrimination. Regular “audits” should be conducted by users to identify and mitigate biases in AI algorithms. This might entail regularly evaluating how the tool behaves in real-world use and watching for signs of unfairness or inconsistency. 

2.       Unauthorized Access: Users must not attempt to circumvent AI security measures or access AI systems without proper authorization. 

3.       Ethical Concerns: AI applications that engage in unethical behavior, such as surveillance without consent or manipulation of users, are strictly prohibited.  

4.       Unequal Access: If any assignment permits the use of AI tools, the tools will be made available to all students, considering that some may already have access to such resources outside of school.  

5.       Replacement for Human Interaction: AI should not replace essential human elements of teaching and mentoring. While AI can augment teaching, it must not substitute human interaction or replace tailored and personalized instruction.  

6.       High-Stakes Decision Making: The use of AI for high-stakes decision making is improper.  For instance, AI should not be utilized for grading, student progression, and discipline decisions without human oversight.  AI should support, not replace, the professional judgment of educators.   

7.       Plagiarism: Use of AI to engage in plagiarism, cheating, or dishonesty or to substitute, in whole or in part, AI work for student work is strictly prohibited.  

8.       Harassment and/or Bullying: Students and employees are not to use AI to engage in bullying, harassment, and/or abuse.  AI should not be used to circumvent compliance with technology center policy or law.  

  

1.       Only AI tools vetted for security, privacy, and data usage compliance may be used.

2.       Approved tools and use cases must align with academic integrity and quality standards.

3.       Regular Reviews: This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains current with technological advancements and legal requirements. 

Monitoring: The use of AI technologies will be regularly monitored to ensure compliance with this policy and to identify any areas for improvement.