Generative AI Guidelines

Santa Clara University supports responsible experimentation with Generative AI tools, but there are important considerations to keep in mind when using these tools, including information security and data privacy, copyright, compliance and academic integrity. These guidelines for using Generative AI are based on SCU’s current technology policies and standards and are updated periodically.

	Protect Sensitive Data When you use public generative AI tools, the information you provide and the results you receive are not private, and could expose proprietary or sensitive information to unauthorized parties. Do not enter sensitive information (anything that is not already intentionally public information) into public generative AI tools. This includes data protected specifically by federal or state law (HIPAA, FERPA), industry regulations (PCI-DSS), or Santa Clara University rules and regulations (donor or employee data). Learn more about SCU’s policy for Data Classification
	Review Your Results Carefully You are responsible for the content of your work no matter what tools you use, including generative AI. Carefully review your results from generative AI tools and always verify those results for errors and biases and exercise caution to avoid copyright infringement. Content generated by AI tools can be inaccurate or misleading, biased, entirely fabricated (or “hallucinated”). In addition, AI may contain copyrighted material or infringe others’ intellectual property rights, and your use of the results can be considered infringement - subjecting you to lawsuits and damages. AI results are not well-protected by intellectual property laws. All of these risks require you to read and understand the terms that come along with the AI you are using.
	Understand and Adhere to Expectations for Academic Integrity Determine whether editors, publishers, funding agencies, and others have restrictions on the use of generative AI tools in the work you create for them. Determine whether your use of generative AI tools needs to be explicitly disclosed. For students, make sure your use of generative AI tools complies with expectations from your instructor and review the guidelines about academic integrity within the Student Conduct Code.
	Other Resources From the Information Security Office: Risks of Generative AI From the School of Engineering: Academic Integrity of AI in Student Learning and in Research From the Markkula Center: Generative AI and Ethics

Protect Sensitive Data

When you use public generative AI tools, the information you provide and the results you receive are not private, and could expose proprietary or sensitive information to unauthorized parties.

Do not enter sensitive information (anything that is not already intentionally public information) into public generative AI tools. This includes data protected specifically by federal or state law (HIPAA, FERPA), industry regulations (PCI-DSS), or Santa Clara University rules and regulations (donor or employee data).

Learn more about SCU’s policy for Data Classification

Review Your Results Carefully

You are responsible for the content of your work no matter what tools you use, including generative AI.

Carefully review your results from generative AI tools and always verify those results for errors and biases and exercise caution to avoid copyright infringement.

Content generated by AI tools can be inaccurate or misleading, biased, entirely fabricated (or “hallucinated”).

In addition, AI may contain copyrighted material or infringe others’ intellectual property rights, and your use of the results can be considered infringement - subjecting you to lawsuits and damages. AI results are not well-protected by intellectual property laws.

All of these risks require you to read and understand the terms that come along with the AI you are using.

Understand and Adhere to Expectations for Academic Integrity

Determine whether editors, publishers, funding agencies, and others have restrictions on the use of generative AI tools in the work you create for them.

Determine whether your use of generative AI tools needs to be explicitly disclosed.

For students, make sure your use of generative AI tools complies with expectations from your instructor and review the guidelines about academic integrity within the Student Conduct Code.

Other Resources

From the Information Security Office: Risks of Generative AI

From the School of Engineering: Academic Integrity of AI in Student Learning and in Research

From the Markkula Center: Generative AI and Ethics