Guidelines for Administrative Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools
Enterprise-licensed Generative AI tools can be beneficial in your operations and administrative work at Wake Forest. Tools such as Gemini, Copilot, Firefly, and others can be helpful as a sounding board for your ideas, as a way to spark your creativity, and as your personal design assistant when building presentations or other materials. These tools should be regarded with caution, however, as they typically store queries to train their models and may pose certain privacy and other risks, and the outputs may not be reliable.
This document was developed by the Wake Forest University Administrative AI Working Group and informed through multiple other advisory and partner conversations. It is intended to provide general guidelines for the use of generative AI tools in an administrative capacity at Wake Forest. These guidelines do not supplant other University policies that may apply to your work or use of University resources or data. As the landscape of artificial intelligence continues to evolve rapidly, these guidelines will be modified from time to time to remain relevant and address any new or emerging risks. Employees of Wake Forest who use generative AI tools for administrative purposes should routinely consult these guidelines for possible updates.
Be transparent
Clear communication ensures that the use of AI is understood in context. Communication and transparency around the use of AI is key. Seek local guidance from your supervisor and others in your area in the use of generative AI tools. If you use AI to help produce written or creative work, clear and proactive communication is essential. This includes transparency in interactions, particularly those that directly impact individuals, such as HR processes or academic evaluations. Prioritize transparency in human-to-human interactions involving AI while also considering appropriate disclosure in written materials. Recognize the evolving impact of AI on professional skills and encourage exploring alternative ways to demonstrate learning and competency in an AI-driven environment.
Procuring AI Tools/Software (including free tools)
As with any new application, and in accordance with the University’s Information Security Policy and Procurement Policy, AI tools should be routed through the University’s standard review process as part of an official software request before use, especially if they involve the use of University resources or University data. WFU IS will route the request to resources that can help validate the supplier’s product and verify that the contract language does not introduce undue risk to the University. These processes can also direct you to existing suppliers and potentially avoid duplicate spending. Using existing Wake Forest enterprise tools ensures confidence that the tools have been evaluated for compliance with Wake Forest’s security, accessibility, data privacy, and/or compatibility standards. Review and explore the capabilities of Wake Forest licensed generative AI tools before pursuing any use of additional AI applications. For example, the GPT-4 and DALL-E 3 capabilities known as part of the [unlicensed] ChatGPT Pro are included in licensed, authenticated WFU use of Microsoft Copilot.
Ensure Privacy and Security
Do not input Confidential, non-public, and/or internal-use-only information when using AI tools that are not approved for WFU institutional use. Safeguarding personal information and Wake Forest’s institutional data is essential. While some AI tools may provide assurances for data privacy and security, others may not. Regardless, exercise caution when using AI tools. Always protect your privacy and the University’s data. Be familiar with and comply with the Wake Forest Information Security Policy. If someone has a question about whether or not information is considered confidential or for internal use only, please reach out to the Information Security Team.
Honor intellectual property
Any use of AI tools requires respect for others’ intellectual property rights and compliance with relevant laws and vendor terms regarding copyrights, patents, and data protection. Review the language of each tool to understand permitted use and seek guidance from IS, the Legal Department, and/or other University resources.
Ensure accuracy and fairness
Human expertise and traditional research methods are necessary counterparts in the use of generative AI tools. While AI can be uncanny in its ability to generate human-like outputs, it lacks human expertise and may return erroneous results. Always verify the accuracy of AI-generated content, as it may include errors or biases. Wake Forest community members and organization units should consult the Office of Institutional Equity when using generative AI tools in admissions, hiring, or other employment decisions.
Do not use generative AI tools to produce malicious content
Some AI tools have keen abilities or benefits in coding and programming projects. Use AI outputs ethically and in accordance with all Wake Forest policies, including the Information Security, Responsible and Ethical Use of Computing Resources, Copyright, etc. Never use AI tools to produce malicious, harmful, or unethical content.
Opt-out of allowing AI models to use your data for training
Some generative AI systems permit users to opt out of having their data (queries/prompts) used in training and improving the AI and its abilities (for example, see OpenAI’s own guidance). Where that option is available, Wake Forest community members are expected to exercise this and opt out of training.
- Google’s Gemini and NotebookLM include data protection for WFU account sessions after login.
- Microsoft Copilot includes data Protection for WFU account sessions, after login.
- Applications typically indicate how they use your data in their terms of use. Review the language describing how your content and queries are to be used for each tool, along with options for restricting this.
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