Heart Comonos AI Policy

It seems like Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days, and it has clearly begun to influence the way non-profits like us operate. Whether AI is used to automate routine tasks, or to organize and quantify large amounts of data, the many conveniences of AI are becoming more and more ;evident. But let’s be clear – there are many negative impacts of AI too. Despite the myth of all-knowing machines, neither AI products nor their human engineers are perfect and unbiased sources of information. Engineers work with specific marketing aims and personal backgrounds, and AI products draw from large but nonetheless limited and incomplete sets of data that give the impression of accuracy and correctness and, as a result, lead to the spread of misinformation. In addition to the partiality of this data, it is often taken from artists and content producers on the internet without consent, compensation, or recognition. AI may have its uses, but it ;comes at enormous ethical, environmental, and socio-political costs (see links attached below for further information on the risks and unseen costs of AI).

So at the end of the day, while we will continue to explore how AI can benefit Heart Comonos and our community, and how to best shape our ;policies around it, we will never have AI make decisions for us. Instead, we will always strive to use AI as directed and guided by the thoughts, feelings, and passions of real human beings.

The question is – How can non-profits like Heart Comonos benefit from AI without compromising thoroughness, community trust, ethical principles, and organizational mission?

The answer is – By crafting critical and flexible AI policy! AI policy is a commitment to aligning our tech/tools with the values that guide their use. Without clear guidelines, we risk misusing AI, violating donor and beneficiary trust, and dampening our overall community impact.

Heart Comonos (HC) AI Policy

1. HC will not use AI for communications purposes. We commit to authoring all community communications ourselves without the assistance of AI messaging.
    
2. HC will generate all ideas for community projects, programs, and workshops in collaboration with HC community members. We commit to generating our own authentic ideas rooted in our passion for community engagement.
    
3. HC will pursue and promote wellness through human-created initiatives, artworks, and products as they relate to our community programming, workshops, and events. We commit to avoid knowingly promoting, using, or publishing images or “artworks” that are generated with AI software. Exceptions on a case-by-case basis may apply.
    
4. HC will use AI to assist with basic office tasks like data organization, word counting, alternative phrasings, and basic problem solving prompts.
    
5. HC will strive for transparency in relation to all data collection practices and decision making processes that involve AI.

These policies are not written in stone as the situation continues to evolve, we are eager to learn and seek input from our community. If you have insights you would like to share with us, we would love to hear them! Send an email to contact@heartcomonos.ca with “AI Policy” in the subject line.

Further Reading:

• https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en/resources/recognize-artificial-intelligence-ai-9-ways-spot-ai-content-online
   
• https://algorithmwatch.org/en/risks-and-hazards-of-ai/
   
• https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ai-poses-risks-both-authoritarian-and-democratic-politics
   
• https://opencanada.org/the-ai-threat-to-canadian-democracy-fighting-for-digital-sovereignty/
   
• https://goldpenguin.org/blog/ai-vs-human-art/
   
• https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/3600211.3604681