Dear Spartans,
Developed in collaboration with campus stakeholders, we are pleased to share new university guidance on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI). As technology continues to advance, it is essential for our community to stay aligned with emerging tools and technologies while simultaneously ensuring responsible and ethical practices.
Generative AI, a branch of artificial intelligence that enables machines to create original content, poses both incredible opportunities and challenges. As we encourage the innovative use of new technology across various disciplines, it is equally vital to address potential risks and concerns. The purpose of this guidance is to provide a foundation for leveraging AI responsibly and ethically across all MSU environments, with the understanding that it will be updated as we learn more about both its applications and implications.
While all MSU community members must adhere to the MSU’s established acceptable use and institutional data policies, specific types of data should be handled in different ways when using a generative AI product.
Key points include:
- Public data
- Generative AI can safely process publicly available information, general academic concepts, and non-sensitive data. Use of public data must still comply with MSU’s policies and be considered relative to its ethical and reputational implications.
- Confidential or private data
- Do not enter confidential data, including, but not limited to, social security numbers, contact details, name/image/likeness, and any information covered by FERPA, HIPAA, or other regulations into any generative AI product.
- Research data
- Researchers must consider the nature and sensitivity of scholarly data before using generative AI to support research. Do not put data that are confidential, contain sensitive information, or are subject to specific legal or ethical requirements (e.g., human subjects’ data) into any generative AI without proper anonymization and evaluation of potential risks, as well as express written consent from any other necessary parties.
- Intellectual property
- As questions around intellectual property and the use of generative AI are unresolved, the MSU community must avoid inputting proprietary or confidential information into generative AI, including unpublished research findings, internal university data or documents, or any information protected by intellectual property rights without express written consent from all stakeholders.
While utilizing such technology, we must also consider issues surrounding misinformation and inaccuracies, bias and unintentional harm, inappropriate content, and algorithmic implications. More on these topics can be found in the guidelines.
As a diverse institution of learning, it is our duty to foster an environment where cutting-edge technologies can be explored and harnessed to advance our uncommon will, resulting in better service to our communities. In partnership with campus partners who provided feedback on this project, we believe that adhering to these guidelines will not only preserve academic integrity but also contribute to the responsible advancement of AI applications.
Together, we can shape a future that embraces the transformative power of technology while upholding our commitment to ethics and academic excellence.
Sincerely,
Melissa
—
Melissa Woo, Ph.D. (she/her)
Executive Vice President for Administration
and Chief Information Officer,
Michigan State University
President,
Michigan State University Research Foundation
