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AI Responsible Use Policy

Current version in force

Effective July 30, 2025 (second major update). This is the approved Artificial Intelligence (AI) Responsible Use Policy for AUA students, faculty, and staff, reproduced here in full. When the AI Committee approves a revised version, this page will be updated and the superseded version archived.

Where to look (a reader's map, not part of the policy)

Policy Administrators. American University of Antigua's AI Responsible Use Subcommittee is responsible for this policy's content, administration, training, compliance monitoring, as well as timely revision and review. This subcommittee also oversees the University's AI usage, ensuring that AI is deployed ethically and in compliance with legal and academic requirements.

I. Policy Statement

This policy aims to provide guidelines for the responsible use of AI Tools by students, faculty, and staff at AUA. It is designed to promote innovation and academic exploration while ensuring ethical conduct, legal compliance, and the protection of sensitive information.

This policy applies to all students, faculty, and staff (collectively, "Users") using AI Tools for any purpose related to their role at AUA, including, but not limited to, academic coursework, research projects, administrative tasks, and clinical rotations. This applies regardless of the location of the User or whether the AI Tools are accessed on university equipment or personal devices.

II. Definitions

Artificial Intelligence (AI). A field of computer science focused on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and language understanding.

AI Tool. Any app, software, or system that utilizes artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other advanced algorithms to perform tasks, analyze data, or make (or assist in making) decisions. This includes technologies such as large language models (e.g., Generative AI), image and video generators, and predictive analytics.

AI-Generated Content. Any material (e.g., text, image, audio, or code) that is produced wholly or in part by an AI Tool, regardless of whether it is modified or used in raw form.

Responsible Use. The ethical, legal, and policy-compliant use of AI Tools that ensures respect for privacy, academic integrity, and equitable practices in academic, research, clinical, or administrative contexts.

Academic Integrity. The commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in scholarly work. In the context of AI, this includes accurately representing one's own work and appropriately acknowledging the use of AI Tools.

Plagiarism. The act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, or expressions (including AI-generated content) as one's own without proper attribution or acknowledgment.

Intellectual Property (IP). Legal rights that protect creations of the mind, such as written works, inventions, and designs.

Privacy Laws (HIPAA, FERPA).

  • HIPAA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects sensitive patient health information.
  • FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of student education records.

Bias in AI. Systematic and unfair discrimination in AI-generated content, often resulting from the data on which the model was trained.

III. Policy

General Guidelines

A. Importance of ethical and responsible use of AI technology

  1. AUA is dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards in the usage of AI technologies. Adherence to ethical guidelines is essential to maintain academic integrity, privacy, and unbiased educational practices.
  2. AI systems must be used in ways that respect fundamental human rights and dignity.

B. Use of AI Tools and Academic Flexibility

  1. The use of AI Tools is encouraged where they enhance or assist users in performing their roles, including administrative, educational, and research tasks.
  2. Consistent with the need for academic and clinical flexibility, AUA does not maintain a restrictive, formal approval list for AI Tools used in general contexts; however, users must ensure any tool used complies with the data security, ethical, and legal requirements of this policy.

C. Respect for intellectual property and copyright laws

  1. Users must ensure that they are not violating any copyright or intellectual property laws when using AI Tools or AI-generated content.

D. Compliance with university policies and codes of conduct

  1. Users must adhere to all relevant university policies, ethical guidelines, codes of conduct, and applicable laws while using AI Tools.

Responsible Use

A. Accountability and Human Oversight

  1. AI is not infallible. Human oversight is crucial to correct and anticipate mistakes.
  2. Users are ultimately accountable for their work, decisions made, and the final output, even when AI Tools are used to assist.

B. Accurate representation of AI-generated content

  1. Labeling and Attribution: Users must identify and attribute any AI-generated content according to academic standards and specific course or departmental guidelines to prevent misrepresentation and plagiarism. Content generated by an AI Tool should not be presented as the User's own original work.
  2. Ensuring the quality and accuracy of AI-generated information: AI Tools may produce erroneous, nonsensical, or factually incorrect information (sometimes referred to as "hallucinations"). Users are expected to recognize the limitations of the AI tools they are using, avoid over-reliance, critically evaluate output for errors, and remain vigilant. AI Tools should not be used blindly for decision-making.
  3. Fact-checking and Verification: Users must verify the accuracy and validity of AI-generated content before using it in their academic work, research, or clinical application. Any references obtained via an AI Tool must be verified at the original source.
  4. Foundational Knowledge: The use of an AI Tool as a primary source of foundational knowledge is strongly discouraged; that source must remain learning materials provided by the school and established academic literature.
  5. Seeking expert guidance when necessary: Users should consult faculty members or other experts when unsure about the reliability or relevance of AI-generated content.

C. Safeguarding privacy and confidentiality

  1. Users must be aware that AI technologies, particularly publicly available (third-party) tools, may collect, store, monitor, use inputted information to train their models, or disclose this information to others without the University's knowledge or control. Use of such tools risks the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data.
  2. Compliance with HIPAA, FERPA and other relevant privacy laws: Users must ensure that their use of AI Tools complies with privacy laws such as HIPAA and FERPA, as well as all applicable data protection regulations.
  3. Not sharing sensitive personal information with the AI: Users are strictly prohibited from inputting sensitive, confidential, or proprietary information into publicly available AI Tools, unless the tool has been specifically vetted and approved by the AI Responsible Use Subcommittee for handling such data. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to:
    1. Patient health information (PHI).
    2. Student education records (FERPA-protected data).
    3. Faculty/Staff confidential personnel information.
    4. AUA proprietary business information, unpublished research data, or trade secrets.

D. Avoiding biases and discrimination

  1. Being aware of potential AI-generated biases: Users must be conscious that AI-generated content may reflect biases present in the training data.
  2. Ensuring equitable treatment of all: Users must actively work to identify and mitigate biases to prevent them from affecting educational assessments, administrative processes, and clinical decision-making.

E. Appropriate Use in Clinical Contexts

  1. Users must exercise extreme caution when using AI Tools in clinical contexts.
  2. AI Tools must not replace professional judgment or clinical expertise. They are intended to augment decision-making, not automate it.
  3. Users must ensure that any AI-assisted decisions comply with established clinical guidelines, ethical standards, and legal requirements.

Prohibited Uses

A. Misrepresentation or Forgery

  1. Using an AI Tool to misrepresent oneself or others is strictly prohibited. This includes generating fake documents, communications, diplomas, transcripts, or certificates.

B. Unauthorized Commercial Use

  1. Using an AI Tool to adapt, reproduce, or exploit AUA intellectual property for personal monetary gain without prior written permission is prohibited.

C. Generation of Harmful or Illegal Content

  1. The use of an AI Tool to generate content that is illegal, harmful, or violates AUA policies is strictly forbidden. This includes content that incites violence or discrimination, constitutes harassment, is obscene, defamatory, or promotes illegal activities.

D. Violation of Privacy or Confidentiality

  1. Using an AI Tool to access, distribute, or disclose confidential or private information without authorization is prohibited.

A. Ownership of Content

  1. Users generally retain intellectual property rights over their original contributions to works created using AI Tools, subject to the terms and conditions of the specific AI Tools used.
  2. Users must review and comply with the licensing agreements of AI Tools.

B. Respect for Third-Party Rights

  1. Users must ensure that the input used for AI Tools, and the resulting output, does not infringe on third-party copyrights or other intellectual property rights. Inputting data licensed from a third party may violate licensing agreements and is prohibited without review.

C. Institutional Intellectual Property

  1. AI-generated content that incorporates AUA's intellectual property, branding, or proprietary information may not be used or distributed outside the scope of the user's role without prior written authorization from AUA.

Consequences of Misuse

A. Disciplinary action

  1. Misuse of AI Tools may result in disciplinary action in accordance with AUA policies (e.g., Student Code of Conduct, Employee Handbook), including academic probation, suspension, expulsion, or termination of employment/contract.

B. Potential legal consequences

  1. Violations of privacy or intellectual property laws may also lead to legal ramifications.

C. Corrective Measures

  1. If corrective measures are required following an investigation into misuse, Users must cooperate in the implementation of those measures. The University may, in its sole discretion, decide to restrict the use of a specific AI tool during or following an investigation.

Reporting Misuse

A. Procedure for reporting misuse of AI

  1. Users are expected to contact the AI Responsible Use Subcommittee immediately if they become aware of:
    1. An actual or suspected violation of this policy.
    2. A breach of data privacy or security related to AI usage.
    3. A circumstance where an AI Tool is generating output which is erroneous, incomplete, misleading, offensive, harassing, discriminatory, or which violates any University policy.
    4. An AI system failure or significant malfunction.

B. Investigation and Cooperation

  1. Reports made under this section will be investigated promptly. Users must cooperate fully with any such investigation.

C. Confidentiality in the reporting process

  1. The university will take steps to ensure confidentiality for individuals reporting misuse and strictly prohibits retaliation against anyone who makes a report in good faith.

Education and Training

A. Availability of training resources

  1. AUA will provide resources, such as workshops or online courses, to educate users about responsible AI use, best practices, data protection, and technical developments.

B. Encouragement to participate

  1. Training is designed to ensure users understand the ethical and legal ramifications of AI use. Users are strongly encouraged (and may be required) to participate in training to stay informed.

Policy Review and Updates

A. Annual review of the policy

  1. The university will review this policy annually.

B. Incorporating updates

  1. As AI technology and the laws governing it are rapidly evolving, the AI Responsible Use Committee will incorporate updates into the policy to ensure it remains relevant and effective, and communicate changes to users in a timely manner.

Revision History

Date Explanation of change
June 26, 2023 Initial version drafted
December 5, 2024 First major update
July 30, 2025 Second major update (Governance, Accountability, Clarity)

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