• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy outlines the principles that support the responsible and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Macquarie University (the University), in alignment with the University’s purpose, values and strategic priorities.

(2) This Policy ensures the consistent application of the eight principles that guide the responsible and ethical use of AI.

Scope

(3) This Policy applies to all Staff, Students and Affiliates of the University, encompassing all uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by these groups.

Section 2 - Policy

(4) Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance teaching and learning, research, innovation and social impact at the University. However, AI also poses significant ethical, legal and social challenges that need to be addressed with care and responsibility.

(5) The following eight principles outline the University’s expectations for the design and the responsible and ethical use of AI, which are informed by Australia’s AI Ethics Principles and the NSW Mandatory Ethical Principles for the use of AI:

1. Positive Impact:
   1. AI should deliver positive results across research, education, and operations, supporting informed decision-making. Its use should align with the goal of delivering meaningful benefits compared to other available tools.
2. AI Literacy and Confidence:
   1. The University will encourage AI literacy among Staff and Students, ensuring they can use AI tools responsibly and understand their broader implications in various contexts.
3. Academic and research integrity:
   1. The University will build awareness among Students and Staff of their responsibilities around the use of AI tools.
   2. The University will manage integrity-related risks posed by AI tools in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy, the Assessment Policy and the Macquarie University Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
4. Fairness and Inclusivity:
   1. AI tools and systems made available and authorised by the University for Students and Staff will be evaluated carefully before deployment to ensure that these do not unfairly discriminate against individuals or groups.
   2. Diverse perspectives should be encouraged and included in AI development teams to ensure that systems are designed and deployed with a comprehensive understanding of potential impacts on different groups.
   3. Engagement with Students, Staff and Affiliates should occur in order to understand needs and concerns relating to AI systems and to allow for feedback to be considered in the AI development process.
5. Privacy and Security:
   1. The University will undertake regular assessments  to ensure that the use of AI systems and tools does not compromise data security or intellectual property rights and complies with University policy, including the Privacy Policy, the Cyber Security Policy, the Data Breach Policy, the Intellectual Property Policy, and the AI Reference Architecture.
6. Accessibility and Equity:
   1. The University will work to eliminate barriers and aim to ensure that appropriate AI systems and tools are available regardless of financial or personal circumstances.
7. Human Oversight and Responsibility:
   1. The University is responsible for those AI tools and systems made available and authorised by the University to Staff, Students and Affiliates (Users).
   2. For AI tools and systems supporting staff decision-making, the final decision-making authority resides with qualified staff who can validate or override AI outputs, particularly in high-risk contexts.
   3. Users of AI systems and tools are responsible for any generated output used for work, research or study purposes.
   4. The University will establish clear reporting processes for concerns about AI tools and systems provided by the University.
   5. Users of AI tools and systems provided by the University must use these for their intended purpose and in accordance with the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy.
   6. A risk assessment will be conducted by the Head of AI prior to the implementation of an AI system to identify potential risks and measures to mitigate these risks in accordance with the Risk Management Policy, and in compliance with the AI Reference Architecture.
8. Continuous Review and Improvement:
   1. The University will regularly review its AI Policy (and any related procedures) and update as necessary to meet evolving needs and maintain ethical standards.

(6) If a Student or Staff member is alleged to have used Generative AI in a manner that is inconsistent with the principles of this Policy, the University may investigate the allegation in accordance the relevant policy (i.e. Academic Integrity Policy, Staff Code of Conduct, Human Research Ethics Policy, Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy).

Section 3 - Procedures

(7) Nil.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(8) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(9) The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Policy:

1. Affiliates refers to contractors, agents, honorary, clinical or adjunct appointees and consultants of the University.
2. AI has the meaning provided in the NSW AI Assurance Framework, being “intelligent technology, programs and the use of advanced computing Algorithms that can augment decision-making by identifying meaningful patterns in data”.
3. Deep Learning is a subset of machine learning that uses advanced neural networks to simulate human cognitive processes, enabling the handling of complex tasks.
4. Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is subset of Deep Learning and a wide-ranging term that refers to any form of artificial intelligence capable of generating new content, such as text, images, video, audio or code (New South Wales Government’s Generative AI: Basic Guidance).
5. Machine Learning refers to systems that use advanced algorithms to learn from historical data and improve performance over time.
6. Staff means all persons employed by the University, including continuing, fixed term and casual Staff members.
7. Student means a person currently enrolled in a unit of study or program at the University.