Academy’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

The Academy has adopted two new policies governing AI Use and AI Notetaking.

General Usage of Artificial Intelligence—Policy and Guidelines

1. Purpose & Scope

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Academy workplace and in the development of Academy work products. It aims to ensure that AI technology is used in a manner that aligns with our values and professional standards and complies with applicable law.

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, volunteers, stakeholders, and third-party vendors who participate in meetings and collaborate on work products, and encompasses the interaction with and development or utilization of AI Tools within our organization (collectively, AI Users). This policy applies when AI Users use AI Tools to perform or assist in the performance of any work-related activities irrespective of the Users’ location at the time they use the AI Tools, whether on Academy systems, personal devices, or third-party equipment. . It covers all AI technologies, including, but not limited to, machine learning, natural language processing, notetaking and transcription software, voice recognition applications, automated meeting assistants, and computer vision.

2. General Principles. For the purposes of this policy:

2.1. Responsible AI Use
AI Users should only use AI Tools when the tools assist the AI Users in performing their work by enhancing productivity, efficiency, and decision-making. AI Tools may produce erroneous or nonsensical information or results that are not real, do not match any data the algorithm has been trained on, or do not follow any other discernible pattern. In addition, the results may reflect biased or incomplete data sets on which they were trained. AI Users are expected to review the output of AI tools every time they use them and apply their judgment to determine whether it includes errors and potentially erroneous, incomplete, misleading, or otherwise problematic output. While AI can be a valuable tool for research and generating initial drafts, the final work submitted should reflect the AI User’s own critical thinking, analysis, and original contributions. AI Users must properly attribute or cite the use of AI tools in their work.

2.2. Prohibition of AI Notetaking Tools
During meetings, the use of any third-party AI notetaking tools by attendees is prohibited. Only Academy employees are permitted to utilize AI tools embedded in Zoom or other virtual meeting software approved by the Academy. Please refer to the specific Academy policy on the “USE OF AI NOTETAKING TOOLS DURING ACADEMY MEETINGS” for additional guidelines on use of AI notetaking tools.

2.3. Accuracy of Records
Maintaining accurate and reliable records of meeting discussions is paramount. It is also important that there be a single official report of Academy-sponsored meetings, including Board, Council, Committee, and Task Force meetings. As noted in Section 2.1., AI Users must review the output of AI Tools to ensure that an accurate record is created. Academy staff are responsible for the maintenance and retention of any records.

2.4. Compliance with Laws and Regulations
AI systems must be used in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including data protection, privacy, and intellectual property laws.

2.5. Data Privacy and Security
AI Users must adhere to the Academy’s data privacy and security policies when using AI systems. They must ensure that any personal or sensitive data used by AI systems is anonymized and stored securely.

3. Implementation and Monitoring

3.1. Monitoring
Academy staff and volunteer leaders are responsible for monitoring adherence to the policy.

3.2. Periodic Reviews
The Academy’s General Counsel will conduct periodic reviews of AI system use within the Academy to ensure adherence to this policy, identify any emerging risks, and recommend updates to the policy as necessary. In addition, Academy staff will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of approved tools and consider new tools to leverage to enhance Academy work.

3.2. Incident Reporting
AI Users must report any suspected violations of this policy or any potential ethical, legal, or regulatory concerns related to AI use to the General Counsel or to their supervisor.

4. Enforcement

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or relationship, in accordance with the Academy’s policies and procedures.

5. Communication of the Policy

This policy will be communicated to all employees, contractors, volunteers, and stakeholders through official channels, including the Academy’s intranet, email notifications, and training sessions. Participants will be reminded of this policy by Academy staff at the beginning of each meeting to ensure compliance.

6. Compliance and Review

Academy staff are responsible for ensuring compliance with this process. Any breach of confidentiality or mishandling of data will be subject to internal review and potential disciplinary action. The Academy’s General Counsel will conduct periodic reviews of Al-powered notetaking use within the Academy to ensure adherence to this policy, identify any emerging risks, and recommend updates to the policy, as necessary. Any changes to the policy will be communicated to all AI Users.

7. Effective Date

This policy is effective as of September 25, 2025.

Use of AI Notetaking Tools During Academy Meetings—Policy and Guidelines

1. Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered notetaking tools are now available to transcribe and summarize online (virtual) meetings. These assistants may be built into existing collaboration tools such as Zoom, while others are third-party software agents that could be used by individual meeting participants. While these tools offer convenience and utility, they have the potential to stifle open conversation/inquiry, create multiple records and potential misinterpretation of meeting discussions, and introduce significant governance risks regarding privacy, security, and the integrity of the information shared within these meetings.

2. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this policy, which is part of a broader AI usage policy for employees and volunteers, is to establish guidelines for the appropriate use of AI notetaking tools. It aims to establish a structured process for the use of an AI note taker during Academy meetings, ensuring confidentiality, accuracy, and compliance with internal policies.

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, volunteers, and stakeholders who participate in meetings at or sponsored by the Academy. It encompasses both virtual and in-person meetings, and covers all types of AI notetaking tools, including but not limited to transcription software, voice recognition applications, and automated meeting assistants.

3. Policy Guidelines

3.1. Prohibition of AI Notetaking Tools
Third-party AI notetakers (such as Reader.AI or Otter.AI) and any other third-party proxy are strictly prohibited in all Academy online meetings. The Academy has no way to verify the security of these third-party tools. Furthermore, the Academy cannot control what data these tools collect and how that data is used.

When used by Academy staff in consultation with the chairperson, the use of certain functions in Zoom AI Companion may be permitted. A key difference between Zoom AI Companion and other third-party tools is that only the host of the Zoom meeting can control Zoom AI Companion functionality in the meeting and ensure consistency with the content captured from the meeting discussion. The Zoom AI Companion must only be used for the purpose of transcribing meeting discussions into structured notes or summaries. Academy staff are required to acknowledge use of AI at the opening of the meeting and adequately review the AI output before any distribution of notes to meeting attendees.

3.2. Responsibilities
Before using Zoom AI Companion in a meeting, the staff liaison and meeting organizer should take into account the nature of the meeting and critically assess whether the tool is necessary and appropriate for the context. In some cases, traditional notetaking methods may be more suitable for preserving confidentiality, privilege, and the candid open exchange of information and opinions.

3.3. Proactively inform participants
Academy staff will ensure that, at the beginning of the meeting, all meeting participants are aware of the use of AI notetaking tools being used to capture meeting discussions and actions for internal use only.

3.4. Review and correct summaries, share sparingly, and delete when no longer required
After the meeting, Academy staff must review the initial AI-generated transcript for errors or misinterpretations. Once proofing is complete, the final version of the notes should be formatted into a clean document and shared by Academy staff sparingly as discussed with the committee chair. Academy staff must delete all AI-generated transcripts and meeting summaries when no longer needed for the purpose for which they were created (i.e., transcribing meeting discussions into structured notes or summaries).

4. Compliance and Review

5. Effective Date

This policy is effective as of September 25, 2025.