AI Guidance for Marketing and Communications

RIT is a top national research university that excels in creativity and innovation. Our learning environment leverages the power of technology, the arts, and design to move the world forward. The purpose of these guidelines is to help all marketing and communications professionals at RIT to use Gen AI in ways that advance our strategic goals while also building trust with our audiences. In short: Humans are at the helm.

These guidelines are intended to assist RIT Marketing and Communications professionals. This is a living and flexible document that will grow and change over time as new technologies and social norms evolve, given the exponential innovation of AI. The Division of Marketing and Communications will respond swiftly and accordingly should an issue arise.

These guidelines apply to Gen AI tools that create content, such as images, text, music, video, and other similar items often used in marketing and communications. They are intended to support university best practices around privacy, safety, ethical practices, and data security standards.

Gen AI should complement — not replace — human knowledge and critical thinking. As professionals, we must edit, fact check, adjust for tone and voice, and be the absolute gatekeeper of the RIT brand.

The Executive Technology Advisory Council (ETAC) is an executive-level advisory body that provides guidance to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and helps to shape enterprise IT and data strategy and initiatives. Within ETAC sits an AI Council, which is creating a governance charter for the overall AI space, including Gen AI. Among other duties, the AI Council will create a road map to guide decision making and resource allocation. Marketing and Communications has representation on the AI Council, and these guidelines must fit within that framework and support the overall university AI guidance.

• Humans are first and at the helm. We maintain that human oversight is essential for all decisions, especially when Gen AI plays a role. All AI-generated content should be thoroughly vetted, refined, and approved by a human creator, such as a creative director, editor, designer, photographer, videographer, social media content creator, or writer.
• The value of human creativity: As marketers and communicators, we recognize the vital contribution of human insight, emotions, imagination, and nuances in the creative process. Gen AI isn’t here to replace us; it’s here to amplify our capabilities.
• Trust and authenticity: Marketers and communicators are relationship builders. Relationships require trust. Trust is built on authenticity, consistency, transparency, and honesty. We commit to never intentionally use Gen AI in ways that mislead, deceive, or propagate false information.
• Transparency with disclosures: Be forthright when you are using AI-generated content. In rare instances, if you have AI meaningfully change an image or other content, consider a citation or disclaimer to that effect, referencing the specific tool you used (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, etc.).
• Pledge to be accurate: We are dedicated to verifying the information provided by Gen AI. The role of human fact-checkers is irreplaceable, and we accept responsibility for any AI-assisted information incorporated into our marketing and communications. We pledge to never publish unchecked information.
• Bias Awareness: Review AI outputs for fairness and inclusivity. Avoid perpetuating stereotypes or discrimination.
• Copyright and Trademark Awareness: AI-generated content may inadvertently resemble copyrighted, trademarked, or proprietary materials. Always review AI outputs for potentially protected content before publication. When possible, use tools and platforms that incorporate rights-safe content generation, but remember that no system guarantees full copyright clearance. Final responsibility for ensuring compliance with copyright and trademark rests with the content creator.
• Ethical Data Use and Consent: Ensure that any data used to train or prompt AI systems complies with university policies and legal requirements around privacy, transparency, and consent. AI tools must be used responsibly, inclusively and in compliance with copyright laws. More guidance is provided by the RIT Information Security Office.

Human oversight must be maintained to ensure accuracy, creativity, and adherence to our guiding principles. The following are examples that can provide direction and guidance. This list may grow and shift as we experience technological changes, legal standards, and related policies.

• Content creation: Marketing teams can use AI tools to generate draft content for newsletters, social media posts, or blog articles. Human editors fact check, refine, and enhance this content to ensure it aligns with the university's voice and standards.
• Personalized communication: Gen AI can help tailor emails and messages to prospective and current students based on their interests and behaviors, improving engagement. NOTE: Privacy laws must be strictly followed.
• Data analysis: AI can analyze large datasets from surveys or social media to identify student preferences and behavior trends, helping the team make informed decisions about campaigns and outreach strategies. Privacy laws apply.
• Chatbots for support: AI-powered chatbots can instantly respond to common questions from students and prospective students on the university's website, improving user experience and freeing staff for more complex inquiries. The initial set of messaging should be vetted by humans first.
• SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): AI tools can assist in optimizing web content for search engines by analyzing keywords, suggesting improvements, and tracking performance metrics. Additionally, Gen AI can be used to help structure content with direct, natural-language answers to ensure the university remains highly visible and accurately cited by modern AI-driven conversational search engines.
• Advertising: Gen AI is already in use in ad platforms to test and evaluate creative performance with audience segments. It learns what is working and then optimizes advertisements to increase performance of a campaign.
• Event promotion: AI can assist in promoting university events by analyzing past attendance data to identify the most effective channels and messaging strategies, thereby maximizing participation.
• Sentiment analysis: Marketing professionals can use AI to monitor social media and online reviews to gauge public sentiment about the university. This allows them to respond proactively to feedback and improve the institution's reputation.
• Surveys and feedback: AI can help draft and analyze surveys to gather feedback from students and alums about programs, services, and overall satisfaction, providing valuable insights for marketing strategies. AI-drafted survey/feedback instruments should be reviewed by a human skilled in research design methodology, such as a member of the University Survey Committee.
• Visual content: AI tools can assist in creating and enhancing photographs, graphics, and visual content, which designers can customize to align with the university's branding. Use of content-aware fill functionalities in photo editing software, such as Photoshop, Canva, etc., is permitted within these guidelines for images you already own. Content-aware fill is considered an assistive tool that can enhance productivity and improve the visual quality of marketing and communications materials by seamlessly retouching or removing unwanted elements from images. However, we emphasize that the primary purpose of photo editing tools in this context is to assist and augment human creativity rather than replace it. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that the use of these tools does not fundamentally alter the context or integrity of the image, maintaining the image's authenticity and the intent of the message.

• Poor illustrations and design: This highlights lack of originality and poor quality. Art created by AI is often perceived as having less value because it lacks human emotional connection.
• Lack of sourcing: Because ChatGPT and similar tools are predictive, they may fabricate facts to fill in gaps. Any fact in AI-generated text must be independently confirmed with a primary source or a reliable secondary source.
• Lack of transparency: Failing to inform consumers when interacting with AI-driven systems (e.g., chatbots, recommendation engines) or when AI influences decisions is poor practice.
• Misleading advertising: Using Gen AI to create or distribute deceptive or false information about products or services.
• Not getting consent: Using AI to collect, analyze, or exploit personal data without proper consent or violating privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
• Discrimination and bias: Using AI in ways that lead to discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, or other protected characteristics, such as in advertising or hiring processes. Be vigilant and aware of AI biases. Some AI output may inherit historical biases.
• Copying the creators: Using Gen AI to create content that closely mimics or copies the work of individual creators or brands without permission.
• Using deepfakes: Using Gen AI to create fake videos, images, or audio that could mislead, defame, or harm individuals or organizations.

By implementing these guidelines, RIT's Division of Marketing and Communications and other marketers and communicators campus-wide can effectively leverage Gen AI while upholding ethical standards and fostering trust within the university community and the public. It is time to be comfortable with change in an ethical framework. Adapt, create, innovate — with humans at the helm.

Constructive feedback is welcome. If you have a question or concern, please contact Bob Finnerty, associate vice president of University Communications at Bob.Finnerty@rit.edu