As artificial intelligence tools become more advanced and widely available, it’s essential for students, educators, and families to understand the appropriate and inappropriate uses of these technologies in academic settings. These guidelines outline what AI is, highlight academic integrity concerns, and address key safety, privacy, and learning challenges associated with its use.

These guidelines apply to all Buffalo Public Schools students, staff, administrators, contractors, and volunteers. They outline clear expectations to ensure AI is used responsibly, ethically, and in ways that support learning and operational goals.

• Always assume AI outputs may contain errors, inaccuracies, biases, or misinformation (some people call these “hallucinations”).

• Critically review and verify AI-generated content using trusted sources before accepting, sharing, or acting upon it.

• Treat AI as a tool to support human work and decision-making — not a substitute for your own professional or personal judgment.

• Never rely on AI alone for decisions that directly impact individuals, such as student grades, disciplinary actions, or personnel matters.

• Never input confidential, sensitive, or personally identifiable information into any AI tool unless the tool is specifically vetted, approved by the district, and protected by a data privacy agreement that meets NYS and federal requirements.

• Understand how AI vendors handle data and ensure compliance with all district privacy policies.

• Use AI in ways that are fair, inclusive, and free from bias or discrimination. Be mindful that AI can reflect or amplify social and cultural biases.

• Do not use AI to create or spread content that is discriminatory, harassing, hateful, insulting, false, defamatory, sexually explicit, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

• Do not use AI for bullying, harassment, or to manipulate media for harmful purposes.

• Respect intellectual property rights when using or sharing AI-generated or source content

• Uphold Academic and Professional Integrity by ensuring all work reflects honest effort and appropriate use of AI tools.

• Be transparent about your use of AI tools in your work, especially when outputs are shared, published, or evaluated.

• Follow any required citation guidelines to properly attribute AI-generated content and explain how it was used.

• Use AI tools to support learning, productivity, and creativity — not as a shortcut to avoid meaningful work.

• Only use AI tools that have been vetted and approved by Buffalo Public Schools. Be aware that even approved tools may have limitations or age restrictions

• If you are unsure how or when to use AI appropriately, ask your teacher, supervisor, or designated district support contact for guidance.

• Engage in ongoing learning to stay informed about AI capabilities, limitations, ethical considerations, and best practices.

*These guidelines help ensure AI is used safely, ethically, and in ways that align with our district’s mission to support all learners and staff.