The Global Governance of AI

New Advisory Committee Navigates AI at USI

by C. L. Stambush

LAST FALL, USI established the AI Advisory Committee, a subcommittee of the Data Governance Strategic Team, to address the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) on campus. While still in its infancy, the Committee aims to educate and guide staff, faculty and students on best practices for AI usage. The 11-person Committee comprises a diverse cross-section of the University, including administrative staff, faculty and representatives from the Dean of Students Office.

The Committee does not serve as an enforcement or compliance agent, rather it provides the primary goals of AI as an educational resource, and best practices for its use. "We established early on that we did not want to police people across campus," said Brandi Hess '00 M'22, Director of University Web and Digital Content, who serves on the Committee. "We saw ourselves as more an educational entity that can help establish some best practices for people who want to use AI tools in their day-to-day work." The goals are to raise awareness about the ethical implications and potential risks associated with AI, such as data security concerns when using tools like Copilot or ChatGPT. Additionally, the initiative aims to provide guidance on the responsible use of AI in academic settings. This includes helping faculty integrate AI tools into their teaching while addressing academic integrity considerations.

One of the Committee's key functions is to connect different departments and individuals across the University who are working on similar AI-related projects. This networking aspect is intended to foster collaboration and share best practices. Additionally, the Committee will review AI tools proposed for University-wide use to ensure they are fiscally responsible and align with the University's goals. "I'm hoping it's a networking thing, where, if people have questions about a best practice or software to accomplish some goal of theirs, and they came to us with that, we would be able to say, 'Oh, well, so and so over in this department is doing something very similar'," said Amy Chan Hilton, Professor of Engineering and Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Office of Sponsored Projects and Research.

As the Committee continues to develop, they plan to offer professional development opportunities and resources to help the USI community navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology.