AI policy.

March 2023

Calidris Technology Policy Governing the Responsible and Ethical Use of AI

We have entered a new and exciting era of technological innovation as artificial intelligence (AI) brings the power and potential to streamline our business operations, generate new ideas and content, and enhance our support to mission-driven companies. However, we also acknowledge the potential ethical issues that AI can pose and the impact - both positive and negative - that it can have on our employees, customers, and communities. Therefore, we are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive policy around the ethical use of AI that aligns with Calidris's values, mission, and goals.

Commercial applications (such as ChatGPT) can augment day-to-day company workflows, and our team members are welcome to explore the responsible use of these tools – internally and/or with our clients – provided strict adherence to the following:

• AI must not harm any group or individuals.

• The AI must not allow a person to be discriminated against by using an AI system.

• The AI system must never be used to discriminate against or exclude individual customers or groups of people during the course of business.

• AI systems must at all times prioritize and safeguard clients’ and customers’ privacy and data rights.

• The AI system should be used to support decision-making and should never be unsupervised or act as an autonomous system (i.e., do not remove humans from the process or decision-making loop). 

When using commercial AI applications, we acknowledge that end users like us have very little to no control over the data used to train such an application as ChatGPT. They are built by experts and typically undergo testing and analysis to reduce systemic bias, erroneous responses, and other common issues. But they are far from perfect.

Many commercial AIs use training data collected from the Internet. This data is often not adequately attributed to its creators, and there is no clearly established law around copyright, ownership, and intellectual property. This data is also likely to be heavily biased and may reflect the existing biases in information sources, such as racism, misogyny, etc.

Therefore we commit to a careful review of any content that is generated by an AI, a process of documenting the source of any content that is not 100% authored by us humans, and will avoid sharing any sensitive information (client and customer data, personally identifiable information (“PII”), internal company materials, trade secrets, financials) with an AI.  

More specifically, we will follow the below guidelines in all our work:

1. Always credit AI use: Whenever AI assists in creating content, is used to co-author a piece of writing, or wholly creates the content, we will ensure that proper credit is given to the AI system or tool used. This will be done by adding a footnote or other indications in the document or publication. [1]

2. Ensure data privacy: Calidris recognizes the importance of protecting sensitive customer data and confidential company information when feeding material into AI applications. Before using any AI tool, the employee will review the accompanying language on data security and obtain approval from a project manager and client before initiating use. Calidris will ensure that appropriate security measures are in place, such as data anonymization, encryption, and access controls, to prevent unauthorized access or use of such information.

3. Exercise caution in decision-making: Calidris recognizes that AI can automate standard processes that lead to decision-making. However, we will exercise caution and ensure that human oversight is an intentional part of the process to avoid biased or discriminatory decisions. Calidris and its employees commit to regularly reviewing the AI systems and tools used to ensure their accuracy, fairness, and transparency. Calidris will provide regular training to employees on the ethical use of AI.

4. Partner with trusted institutions: Calidris’s senior leadership is working to establish partnerships with trusted institutions, such as non-profit organizations, industry associations, and research institutions, who have expertise in the proper and ethical use of AI. We will regularly seek their guidance on ethical AI practices and incorporate their recommendations into our policies and procedures.

5. Uphold transparency: Calidris and its employees will ensure that the use of AI is transparent to our stakeholders, customers, and communities. We will clearly communicate the intended use of AI systems and tools, their limitations, and any potential impacts on stakeholders. We will also provide an avenue for feedback and concerns related to AI use.

6. Commit to continuous improvement: Calidris will regularly review and update our policy on the ethical use of AI to reflect changing trends, best practices, and emerging risks. We will ensure that our policy aligns with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and company values and mission.

By adopting this policy, Calidris and its employees aim to promote AI's ethical use and build trust among all our stakeholders. We believe that responsible and ethical use of AI can create value for our clients, and their customers and contribute to the growth and development of underestimated communities.