2.8 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use & Compliance

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USU recognizes the growing significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, research, and operations. The use of AI tools must align with university policies, security guidelines, and ethical standards.

Data Security & Privacy: Users are responsible for ensuring that sensitive, restricted, or confidential data (including FERPA, HIPAA, Personal Data, and proprietary university information) is not uploaded or processed in AI tools unless the university has an established privacy agreement with the provider. Uploading such data to third-party AI tools without a university-approved privacy agreement may result in security breaches, compliance violations, and legal or institutional liability. Users must understand these restrictions and exercise caution when using AI tools.

Integrity and Accountability: AI-generated content must be reviewed for accuracy, bias, and compliance with copyright regulations before use in coursework, research, or administrative communications.

Responsible Use: AI should supplement human decision-making but must not replace critical thinking, academic rigor, or professional judgment.

Institutional Guidance: Faculty, staff, and students should refer to USU’s AI Guidance for official procedures, best practices, and available AI tools.

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Related Policies:

Why

USU recognizes the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academia, research, and administration. As AI continues to evolve, it is critical to establish clear guidelines for its responsible and ethical use across the university. This page provides faculty, staff, and students with AI guidance, best practices, and access to AI resources at USU.

Reporting

Promptly report concerns regarding entry of sensitive or restricted data into an AI tool, or a suspected IT security breach.
Report Concerns

How

USU provides general guidance on AI usage across academic, research, and administrative contexts. Faculty are encouraged to define expectations for AI in coursework, researchers should be mindful of its implications, and administrative use should align with security and ethical standards. Key considerations include data privacy, accuracy, and responsible decision-making. More detailed information is available below.

AI in Academic Settings

Faculty members are encouraged to clearly define AI usage expectations in their syllabi. USU provides the following general categories for AI use in coursework. Sample syllabus statements and detailed guidance on communicating AI policies can be found at https://ai.usu.edu, click on “Help & Resources”.

AI in Research

Researchers at USU should exercise caution when integrating AI tools into their work. Detailed guidance for researchers can be found at https://ai.usu.edu, click on “Help & Resources”.

AI in Administrative & Operational Use

USU encourages the responsible use of AI to enhance administrative efficiency while ensuring compliance with data security and privacy standards.

Data Privacy – Do not upload sensitive, restricted, or personal data / personally identifiable information (PII) into Bring-Your-Own-AI (BYOAI) solutions, see https://ai.usu.edu for officially supported tools.
Misinformation & Bias – AI-generated content should be verified for accuracy and potential biases before use in official communications.
Ethical Use – AI should supplement human decision-making, not replace critical judgment.

What you should know about AI

AI offers significant opportunities to enhance learning, research, and operations at USU. However, responsible usage requires adherence to ethical standards, data security measures, and institutional policies. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to stay informed and utilize officially supported AI tools to maximize the benefits of AI while safeguarding integrity and privacy.

Safeguarding Privacy and Data Security

AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are publicly accessible and do not have built-in security and data regulation compliance features. Therefore, when using public AI tools, never enter or upload sensitive or restricted data per USU’s data classification policies, including protected health information (PHI), FERPA-protected data, personally identifiable information (PII), donor information, intellectual property (IP) information, and payment card industry (PCI) information. Public AI tools should not be used to process, store, or analyze sensitive university data.

Mitigating Misinformation

AI-generated responses can be unreliable or false. When an AI tool is trained with data containing inaccuracies, its output is prone to be misleading. This is particularly evident in AI models that pull from publicly available datasets, which often contain misinformation. If AI-generated content is used in research, coursework, or university documents, it must be verified for accuracy, and the AI tool must be properly cited. Failure to do so may compromise the credibility of academic and institutional work.

Confronting Bias in AI Output

AI tools are trained on vast amounts of data, which may include biases. Consequently, AI-generated responses may reflect historical stereotypes or prejudiced viewpoints. Faculty, staff, and students should critically evaluate AI-generated content and take steps to identify and correct biased outputs before incorporating them into coursework, research, or official communications.

Upholding Copyright and Academic Integrity

Many AI tools do not disclose the specific data sources used in their training, which raises concerns about plagiarism and copyright infringement. AI-generated content may include copyrighted material without proper attribution, making it crucial to review and verify all AI-generated outputs before use. AI should never be used as a substitute for peer-reviewed research or professional recommendations. Faculty and students must adhere to USU’s academic integrity policies when utilizing AI in coursework and research.

AI as a Continuous Learning Tool

Through strategic integration, AI can enrich formal education and support continuous learning. However, it is not a replacement for critical thinking, academic instruction, or hands-on research. USU encourages faculty and students to use AI tools to enhance learning experiences while maintaining responsible and ethical engagement.