Embedded Files
INST 7.0
Principals must ensure staff and students in the Archdiocese of Baltimore use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in an ethical and responsible manner, following all policy guidelines listed below.
Purpose:
To provide clear expectations for staff and students on how to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) ethically and responsibly in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
To ensure generative artificial intelligence (AI) supports teaching and learning without replacing critical thinking, creativity, and/or effort.
To ensure the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is aligned with the teachings of the Catholic Church and our Catholic values.
To protect the privacy and safety of all staff and students by ensuring compliance with data privacy laws (e.g., FERPA) and safeguarding personal information.
To help prevent potential exposure to misinformation, inappropriate content, and unauthorized generative AI use, ensuring that it is used responsibly and ethically.
Commentary/Procedural Points:
Introduction and Definitions
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems designed to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence, such as reasoning, problem solving, learning, and decision-making.
As stewards of creation, we are called to use AI to enhance teaching and learning while preserving human judgment and dignity, ethical responsibility, personal interaction, and the common good. AI should serve as a complement to traditional education, rather than a replacement.
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content, such as text, images, videos, or music, based on patterns it has learned from existing data. Examples include chatbots that write responses, or tools that generate pictures or videos.
Student Use
PreK–Grade 4 are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Grades 5–8 are permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) for academic purposes.
Grades 9–12 are permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) for academic purposes.
Privacy and Safety
Any user of generative artificial intelligence (AI) must protect student, parent, teacher, and school data by never sharing private information. This includes, but is not limited to student names, grades, SAP (Student Accommodation Plan) details, or any other personally identifiable information (PII).
Misinformation and Potential Bias
Staff and students must not assume that all AI-generated content is accurate or appropriate to share and must be fact-checked for misinformation and potential bias.
All staff must carefully review AI-generated content before using it in lessons, parent communication, or content creation.
Before Teachers Use AI with Students
Principals must ensure teachers provide students (Grades 5-8) with explicit instruction on the following topics before generative artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the classroom for academic purposes:
ethical and responsible generative AI use;
the school’s discipline philosophy and procedures for not adhering to the policy;
the consequences and dangers of accessing unauthorized chatbots, or creating content that misrepresents, harms, or negatively impacts others;
how to safely use generative AI tools without sharing personally identifiable information (PII);
how and when generative AI can be used in the classroom;
how to follow proper citation protocols when referencing generative AI used in their work.
All Archdiocesan schools must have an Academic Integrity Policy that includes consequences for cheating and plagiarism (including work that used generative artificial intelligence to plagiarize).
Resources:
Page updated
Report abuse