Responsible AI Use

1. Why we have this policy

Elimu Sasa is deliberately AI-enabled. We teach practical use of AI because it is now part of how work gets done. Used well, AI helps you learn faster and produce better work. Used carelessly, it can produce errors, expose confidential information or pass off work that is not really yours. This policy applies to learners, instructors, mentors and Elimu Sasa staff.

2. What you may use AI for

Unless an assessment says otherwise, you may use AI tools to:

• explain concepts, brainstorm and explore ideas;
• draft, edit and improve your own writing or code;
• generate options, outlines and first drafts that you then check and develop; and
• build, automate and test as part of courses that teach AI tools.

3. You remain responsible

Whatever tool you use, you are responsible for what you submit, publish or deliver to a client. That means you should:

• check AI output for accuracy, suitability and quality;
• understand your work well enough to explain and defend it; and
• fix problems rather than blaming the tool.

4. AI in assessments

Each assessment states one of three levels of AI use:

If an assessment does not state a level, ask your instructor. Until you have an answer, treat it as AI Allowed With Disclosure.

5. Confidential and personal information

Do not enter the following into AI tools unless you are authorised and the tool is approved for that use:

• other people’s personal data, such as names with contact details, ID numbers or health information;
• confidential client or employer information; or
• passwords, keys or other security credentials.

Where you can, remove names and identifying details before using AI. Check a tool’s settings for whether your inputs may be used to train its models.

6. Intellectual property

AI tools can reproduce material that belongs to someone else. Do not use AI to copy other people’s protected work, imitate living artists or brands in ways that mislead, or produce content you do not have the right to use. Check the terms of the tools you use, especially for client work.

7. Fabricated information and citations

AI tools can invent facts, statistics, quotes, references and sources that look real. Never submit or publish a fact, citation or source you have not checked yourself. Submitting fabricated information breaches our Learner Code of Conduct, whether or not AI produced it.

8. Human judgement

Use your own judgement about whether AI output is accurate, fair and appropriate for the people it will affect. Some decisions should not be handed to a tool, especially those that significantly affect other people.

9. How Elimu Sasa uses AI

• We use AI-assisted tools to support teaching and administration, for example to help prepare learning materials, organise information and draft communications.
• We avoid putting unnecessary personal data into AI tools, and we protect confidential information.
• Admissions, certification and disciplinary decisions are made by people. AI does not make these decisions on its own.
• Our Privacy Notice explains how this affects your personal information.

10. Bias and fairness

AI systems can reflect and amplify bias in the data they learned from. Look out for unfair or stereotyped output, especially about people, and correct it. Tell us if you see bias in any tool or material we provide.

11. Disclosure

When disclosure is required, a short note is enough, for example: “I used an AI assistant to suggest a structure for this report and to check my grammar. The research, analysis and final wording are my own.” Be honest. Undisclosed AI use where disclosure is required is treated as an academic integrity matter.

12. Changes to this policy

AI tools change quickly, so we will review this policy regularly. The version and date at the top of this page show when it last changed.