This policy governs the use of AI in Academic and Research Contexts. 

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to a technology family that enables computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to process visual cues, understand and translate spoken and written language, analyze data, and make recommendations from heuristic analyses. This includes, but is not limited to, Generative AI (GenAI), Large Language Models (LLMs), and Machine Learning (ML).

AI Tools refer to any software, platform, device, or cloud service – whether Institute-licensed, open-source, embedded within another product, or publicly accessible on the web – whose core functionality relies on an AI system as defined above.

2.1 Guiding Ethical Principles and Safeguards

This policy is guided by the following ethical principles and safeguards:

• Accountability
• Safeguarding Protected Data
• Human Oversight and Safety
• Safeguards against Hallucination
• Fairness and Bias Mitigation
• Transparency
• Accessibility
• Protection against Prompt Injection Attacks

GT community members who employ AI tools in academic and research contexts must act in a manner consistent with these guiding ethical principles, including measures to reduce the risk of misleading or adversarial outputs.

2.2 Responsible Use and Accountability

Within this policy and related procedures, Georgia Tech maintains a standard for responsible AI use in academic and research contexts. Because AI use can implicate additional Georgia Tech policies and procedures, GT community members must read this policy in concert with all other relevant policies, including but not limited to the Academic Honor Code, Faculty Handbook, AI in Administrative and Employment Contexts, and the various information technology policies. 

2.2.1 Accessing AI Tools

For work in academic and research contexts, GT community members should use AI tools that are either an (1) Institutionally Approved AI Tool or a (2) Limited Use AI Tool as designated by a Local AI Point of Contact. GT community members can find approved tools (https://oit.gatech.edu/governance/ai/) and the process for requesting tool approval may be found (https://oit.gatech.edu/governance/ai/). 

Please note that use of an approved AI tool must remain within its approved scope and for its intended, approved purpose. 

A student’s use of free or personally licensed AI Tools in academic and research contexts must be consistent with this policy and accompanying guidance. Institute review, approval, and inclusion in the Institute or a Local AI Registry are not required for a student’s personal use of free or personally licensed AI Tools with their own data. 

2.2.2 Safeguarding Protected Data and Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Consistent with other Georgia Tech policies and legal requirements, GT community members should safeguard any information that includes personally identifiable information (PII) or is categorized by the Institute as Protected Data. 

GT community members must not submit any data categorized by the Institute as Protected Data or any data including personally identifiable information (PII) that can directly or indirectly identify another individual (for example, the combination of major, GPA, and academic term) into an AI tool unless it is an approved scope for an approved AI Tool. 

Even when using institutionally approved tools, GT community members must adequately safeguard this data from improper disclosure. Further discussion of safeguarding protected data and personally identifiable information (PII) may be found in the Guidance on the Use of AI in Academic and Research Contexts. 

2.2.3 Respecting Intellectual Property (IP) and Regulatory Requirements

GT community members are responsible for complying with Georgia Tech AI policies and their accompanying guidance. Failure to do so could result in violation of contractual obligations, others’ IP rights, and regulatory requirements. 

2.2.4 Verifying the Accuracy After AI Use

GT community members should verify the accuracy of information generated by AI tools before using or relying on the information because AI output can be inaccurate, biased, hallucinated, or contain copyrighted material.

GT community members are responsible for the accuracy of any information they use or publish that includes AI-generated material.

Guidance on methods to verify AI-generated material for accuracy is addressed in the accompanying Guidance on the Use of AI in Academic and Research Contexts (to be linked).

2.2.5 Disclosure of AI Use

GT community members using AI tools in their academic, scholarly, and research products may need to disclose that AI has been used in their creation. The magnitude of the AI use and significance of the work product are factors to determine the necessity and appropriateness of a disclosure. GT community members should not create the impression that output generated by AI tools is their own. GT community members should cite any quotations, paraphrasing, or ideas derived from AI tools. Failing to do so may be considered a violation of the Academic Honor Code or another’s IP rights, or it may be considered scientific or scholarly misconduct. Disclosure is discussed more fully in the accompanying Guidance for the Use of AI in Academic and Research Contexts.

For more information on academic integrity, GT community members should refer to the Academic Honor Code and resources maintained by the Office of Student Integrity.

For more information on research integrity, GT community members should refer to the Faculty Handbook provisions governing Scientific or Scholarly Misconduct and resources for the responsible conduct of research maintained by the Office of Research Integrity Assurance and the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education.   

2.2.6 AI in Academic Instruction

The Center for Teaching and Learning provides guidance and sample language to support instructors in communicating expectations regarding AI use. Instructors should provide students with clear guidance about permissible and impermissible uses of AI in their courses and assignments. Instructors should refer to Section VI.I.1 of the current Georgia Tech Catalog for requirements regarding syllabus content describing acceptable student conduct as it relates to the use of AI. Before instructors may use AI outputs to inform grades, provide formal feedback, or create any official record, instructors should use Human Oversight to verify the appropriateness and correctness of the use.

2.2.7 AI in Research Practices and Scholarly Communication

GT community members should use independent Human Oversight and validation appropriate to the discipline and context in their research when using any AI Tools. 

GT community members should verify any AI outputs before they inform research processes or data analysis. 

GT community members and their teams should use the Guidance on the Use of AI in Academic and Research Contexts (to be linked) to inform the use and disclosure of AI contributions to research. GT researchers must also comply with applicable funder and publisher policies relevant to the work. 

GT community members should not create the impression that output generated by AI tools is their own. Accordingly. GT community members should appropriately disclose the use of AI to produce or substantively inform Scholarly Communications consistent  with the Guidance on the Use of AI in Academic and Research Contexts and applicable funder and publisher policies relevant to the work.

2.3 Data Protection and Privacy

In addition to the provisions noted above in section 2.2.2, GT community members using AI in Academic and Research Contexts must comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Institute policies governing student and institutional information. Collection, use, storage, and transmission of such information in connection with AI must be authorized and limited to the purposes of instruction or research. Additional information about data privacy at Georgia Tech may be found on the pages for Data Governance and Privacy. 

2.4 Education and Awareness

Georgia Tech provides ongoing education on AI risks, ethics, responsible use, compliance, and policy awareness. The AI Governance Program, in conjunction with the academic and research divisions, coordinates education offerings and participation expectations. 

GT community members must maintain compliance with any required training.

2.5 Institutional Oversight and Accountability

This policy establishes the Institute AI Governance Program to coordinate AI governance for Academic and Research Contexts. The AI Governance Program is led by an AI Governance Officer appointed by the AI Governance Committee. The members of the AI Governance Committee shall be appointed annually by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA), Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR), the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance (EVPAF), and the Chieif Information Officer (CIO). The AI Governance Officer will collaborate with designees of the Executive Sponsors and together, provide Institute-wide coordination, alignment, and escalation for AI governance within the boundaries of this policy.

The AI Governance Program maintains a published process to receive and route questions and complaints related to AI use in Academic and Research Contexts, coordinating resolution through existing Institute mechanisms. The AI Governance Program coordinates and enables AI governance across the enterprise, while decisions that only impact academics and research remain under the authority of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA) and Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) and their designees, respectively.

2.5.1 Unit Oversight, Accountability, and AI Points of Contact

Each Executive Sponsor and Dean must designate one or more Local AI Points of Contact for their division, college, or library. School chairs, vice provosts, and other unit leaders may also designate one or more Local AI Points of Contact to support their unit, or utilize the support network provided by the unit to which they report.

Local AI Points of Contact serve as a support network and local liaisons to help GT community members navigate the Institute's AI requirements. For faculty and researchers, these contacts act as a resource to assist in evaluating proposed AI tools in accordance with the AI Tool Approval Standard. They help determine whether a tool can be quickly approved locally as a Limited Use AI Tool, or if its proposed academic use requires routing for an enterprise-level Institute review.

The formal authorization, registration, and administrative management of AI Tools by Local AI Points of Contact are governed by the AI in Administrative and Employment Contexts Policy.

2.5.2 Monitoring for Compliance

The Institute maintains appropriate monitoring and compliance processes consistent with existing policies. The administrative responsibilities for monitoring and maintaining AI audit trail records are governed by the AI in Administrative and Employment Contexts Policy.

2.5.3 Policy Maintenance and Review

The AI Governance Program shall establish a regular schedule to formally review and update all institutional AI governance Policies and supporting artifacts. This AI Policy must be reviewed annually, or as needed, to reflect emerging legal, technological, or organizational changes.