Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is an integral part of the present and future at Iowa State University. While there are several tools that can assist with daily tasks and improve efficiency, AI should never replace human creativity and judgment.
As Iowa State marketing and communication professionals, we must use these tools responsibly and in compliance with existing university policy and brand marketing guidelines to maintain the trust of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and other stakeholders.
This document is intended to provide guidance for those who choose to use AI tools to assist with written content, video, audio, graphic design and social media. The guidance also includes an AI checklist and examples of acceptable and unacceptable uses.
Please note: This is a living document and will be updated as the world of AI evolves.
Key points for all AI use
- Marketing and communications materials cannot be created solely by generative AI
- Use of generative AI tools must comply with existing Iowa State policies (links below)
- Human review is required for all content produced with AI assistance
- Confidential data should not be entered into generative AI tools
Copyright considerations
Before using AI to assist with Iowa State communication and marketing materials, it is important to consider how the use of AI may impact copyright protection and ownership. Copyright law and its application to AI-generated content is still developing. The U.S. Copyright Office has published reports to address copyright issue for work incorporating AI-generated material.
Communication and marketing professionals are responsible for the content they create, including content generated using AI, and should review all content, prior to publishing, to determine if it meets the intended needs and aligns with Iowa State guidance. To ensure the authenticity of all Iowa State University communication and marketing content, AI tools should only be used to assist with content generation and editing.
Use of generative AI must align with the university’s mission, vision and values and comply with all state and federal laws and institutional regulations and requirements, including Iowa State’s acceptable use of information technology resources, IT security, data classification and research data policies.
Transparency
Iowa State marketing and communications content created solely using generative AI is unacceptable. If you feel a transparency statement is needed for content generated with AI assistance, please email commscabinet@iastate.edu.
Some social media platforms require a label or transparency statement. For META platforms, check the box “Label as Made with AI” before posting. For other platforms, the following statement may be used:
A portion of this work was supported by AI technology tools, with content vetting and refinement from subject-matter experts or editors.
Generative AI tools
A list of ISU-supported AI products is available on the Generative Artificial Intelligence website. The list includes tools currently available at the enterprise level for ISU faculty, staff and students. Each tool offers functionalities to support creativity, productivity and collaboration across various platforms, and ensures integration with ISU systems and compliance with privacy and accessibility standards.
If you have questions about other AI tools, email aifeedback@iastate.edu.
Communication and marketing tools enhanced by AI
Artificial intelligence is integrated into many of the tools we use in our daily work. For example, University Marketing and Communications uses Cision for media tracking and build reporter lists for media pitching. Cision recently integrated AI into both functions. Other examples may include products and services that generate content calendars, develop media plans, provide virtual meeting summaries or suggest responses/text in Outlook or Word.
In general, this guidance does not apply to tools used for aspects of our work that are unrelated to content generation (content-specific examples are listed below). However, use caution with these products to ensure you comply with university policies outlined above.
Content-specific guidance and examples
The following guidance includes acceptable and unacceptable uses for generative AI specific to content areas.