AI in Your Workday: The five principles behind UA’s AI guidelines

October 16, 2026

Why it matters: UA recently published guidelines for using generative AI in communications work. But a list of dos and don’ts will go stale as the technology changes. The five principles behind the guidelines are designed to help you make good judgment calls even when the specific situation isn’t covered.

The principles:

Authenticity
Authenticity is a pillar of UA’s identity. AI can serve as an assistant, but should not play a stand-alone role in our work. All interactions with AI should produce authentic materials. Inauthentic communication damages our shared identity and undermines our efforts at building trust with our community and our students.

Discernment
Critical thinking and careful evaluation can allow for thoughtful innovation, yet AI models require strict human oversight and judgment to guard against dangerous results. This requires accuracy, appropriateness, contextual understanding and adherence to guidelines. It is our responsibility to implement safeguards and monitor outcomes.

Accountability
Every individual, and ultimately the institution, is responsible for what we publish. Utilizing AI can result in unintended plagiarism and copyright infringement. Human expertise is required to properly manage these tools as they evolve.

Transparency
AI use necessitates clear disclosure. All published content should include the proper attribution to the best of your knowledge. UA staff should maintain and value the connection to source materials.

Respect
We respect knowledge, creativity, the environment and our educational mission. As an institution of higher education, we must balance innovation with our responsibility to preserve learning, critical thinking and trust.

UA work scenario: A staff member enables Zoom AI Companion for a planning meeting without notifying participants. The meeting includes a candid conversation about a budget shortfall and some frustration with a colleague’s performance. The AI generates a summary and automatically sends it to all attendees. The summary captures the budget discussion accurately but also includes a paraphrased version of the performance comments — now in writing, now in everyone’s inbox.

Takeaway: The staff member didn’t intend to document that conversation. But it is documented, distributed, and potentially subject to records requests.

The bottom line: AI is assistive, not authoritative. These principles are the filter every decision should pass through.

Before you go: Please fill out this two-question survey to help shape the series.

  1. How confident are you in your ability to use generative AI responsibly in your communications work?
  2. What would be most helpful to you in this series?

This month’s resource: LinkedIn Learning: Navigating Ethical Choices about AI

Read UA’s AI guidelines here.