Palm Beach State College Board Policy

Title: Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies

Policy Number: 6Hx-18-6.09

Legal Authority: F.S. 1001.64; F.S. 1001.65; FS 501.171

Date Adopted/Amended: Adopted: 8/20/2024

Purpose

Palm Beach State College (PBSC) recognizes the significant potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance teaching, learning, research, and administrative functions. This policy establishes the appropriate and responsible use of AI at PBSC to ensure that they are employed ethically, securely, and effectively to support the College while respecting privacy, confidentiality, and legal standards. Failure to abide by the policy and associated procedure(s) may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Scope

This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students, and third-party contractors who engage with AI technologies on behalf of the College, whether within academic or administrative settings.

Definitions

AI Systems: Artificial Intelligence Systems refer to computer systems or programs designed to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. These systems are designed to process data, learn from experience, adapt to new inputs, and perform tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously.

Policy Statement

All use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems at Palm Beach State College (PBSC) will abide by the following:

1. The College shall uphold the privacy and security of data used in AI-driven transactions in compliance with Florida Statutes and other applicable data protection laws. This includes implementing robust data protection measures, maintaining data confidentiality, and obtaining consent for data collection, processing, and sharing activities as proscribed in PBSC’s Information Security Policy (6Hx-18-6.01).

2. Personal information of all PBSC faculty, staff, students, and third-party contractors shall not be input into Generative AI tools without validated contracts and security measures. All AI systems must undergo thorough security review and approval by the Chief Information Officer before adoption. Incidents must be meticulously documented in accordance with legal requirements.

3. All use of AI Systems by students, faculty, and staff must adhere to principles of fairness, transparency, accountability, and privacy. AI initiatives should advance academic, administrative, and societal missions, promoting student success, research, and efficiency. It is crucial to acknowledge that AI-generated content may exhibit inaccuracies, biases, or be entirely fabricated, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as "hallucinations."

The College acknowledges the limitations of relying solely on AI detection tools to determine instances of academic dishonesty. Cases based solely on AI detection results will not automatically be considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. However, a hallucinated citation can be considered and may constitute evidence of academic dishonesty.
Restricted and Internal Use data, as defined in the College’s Data Classification and Handling Policy (6Hx-18-6.02), shall not be transmitted, uploaded, or sent to an AI system unless approved by the Information Security Department and the Chief Information Officer.
Projects involving the use of AI systems for research or academic purposes must undergo ethical review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to assess potential risks and ensure compliance with ethical guidelines.
College employees are prohibited from presenting any content generated by Generative AI tools as their original work. If referencing, summarizing, or incorporating ideas from Generative AI output, individuals must ensure its accuracy and refrain from plagiarizing existing work or infringing upon the intellectual property rights of others.
College employees are required to verify the accuracy of information produced by Generative AI tools before utilizing such information. Reliance on Generative AI output shall only occur after confirmation of accuracy from supplementary sources.

4. This policy applies to all new and existing AI systems that are developed or currently in use.

5. This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure alignment with academic trends, technological advancements, and applicable laws.