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Guidelines for the Administrative Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence at Northeastern

December 21, 2023 | by University Decision Support

Guidelines for the Administrative Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence at Northeastern

Scope:  These guidelines are intended to apply to administrative activities at Northeastern and do not provide guidance on the use of Generative AI in academic work or faculty research.

Introduction:

Generative AI is an artificial intelligence technology that can produce several types of content including text, images, audio, video, and synthetic data.  It is important to understand that generative AI tools are only able to draw on the information the model was trained on, meaning that responses reflect the biases and limitations of the training material.

The ability to use a generative AI chatbot to get tasks done is a revolution in how people work.  However, the use of generative AI can put Northeastern at risk if used improperly.  The do’s and don’ts of successful use of generative AI in this document will guide you toward productive ways to use this time-saving tool while reducing the risk of improper use and unintended outcomes.

Do:

  1. Understand the limitations of generative AI and the risks of relying on it as a source of information.
  2. Use your Northeastern email address to create an account intended for Northeastern use.
  3. Invest time in identifying your organizational goals and objectives for using the AI tool and testing the tool to make sure it accomplishes those goals. This may involve a discussion with your manager.
  4. Understand how to use the tool properly to get the desired results (bad, incomplete, or inaccurate data means compromised results).
  5. Edit and fact check generative AI output for accuracy and veracity.
  6. Disclose your use of AI to all who might be impacted by it, such as discussing the use of generative AI with your manager and appropriately referencing what content you used both in conversation and in documents.
    • Cite ChatGPT (or other generative AI platform) in your work. Examples:
      • “According to OpenAI’s GPT-3 model, accessed through the OpenAI API on [insert date], the process of photosynthesis is a vital biological mechanism that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. It should be noted that the accuracy and currency of this information may vary, as it relies on pre-existing data up to the ChatGPT knowledge cutoff date in September 2021.”
      • Bibliography: ChatGPT. (2023). Ethical leadership [Text generated by artificial intelligence]. Retrieved August 16, 2023, from https://chatgpt.com/
    • Confirm that your request and the generated content adhere to Northeastern’s Code of Ethical Conduct, Policy on Confidentiality of University Records and Information, and Appropriate Use Policy.

 Don’t:

  1. Do not enter any confidential business information as specified in the university’s Policy on Confidentiality of University Records and Information. Any information you plug into the public version of ChatGPT or any OpenAI model becomes part of the general data lake. This means that any data entered into the system are fed into the data lake, become part of the generative AI model, and will be available for public consumption.  Some generative AI models do not do this so be sure to understand how the model you are using functions.
  2. Do not upload application code or intellectual property (e.g., new inventions whether patentable or unpatentable, human subjects research, copyrighted content, proprietary source code, etc.).
  3. Do not enter student or employee personally identifiable information.
  4. Do not copy, publish or take credit for any content generated from AI platforms without appropriate attribution[1].
  5. Do not generate, download, store, or share content that is defamatory, discriminatory, or otherwise violates our appropriate use policy.

 

[1] Citing generative AI should include the name of the model and platform used, the date you retrieved the information, and a clarification that the information is generated by an AI model.  For example, “According to OpenAI’s GPT-3 model, accessed through the OpenAI API on [insert date], the process of photosynthesis is a vital biological mechanism that converts sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. It should be noted that the accuracy and currency of this information may vary, as it relies on pre-existing data through September 2021.” More formally, you can use this format:

Author. (Date). Name of tool (Version of tool) [Large language model]. URL

Example:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-Text Citation Example:

(OpenAI, 2023)