Based on Template ChatGPT Use Policy by Kairoi Ltd (2023) / kairoi.uk / CC-BY 4.0
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly useful and accessible. In particular, generative AI tools have become a part of many professionals’ workflows. Generative AI tools include those that produce text or images in response to queries. They are an accessible way to interact with large language models (LLMs), AI systems trained on enormous amounts of data. In that training process, LLMs require huge compute resources. In practice, text-to-image tools can be used by publishers to create visuals, and artists to aid them through the creative process. Similarly, chatbots based on LLMs can help write blogposts, emails and reports. ChatGPT is one such LLM-based chatbot.
ChatGPT serves as an interface to interact with an LLM that is trained on enormous amounts of data. When inputting a prompt in ChatGPT, we are basically interacting with all the data it was trained on. Through different machine learning techniques, ChatGPT is also trained to predict the next word in a sentence, which allows its responses to sound natural and even compelling. However, ChatGPT can provide factually incorrect information, is easily manipulated, and is further trained by the prompts users provide.
At the Ersilia Open Source Initiative (Ersilia), we acknowledge ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for day-to-day work, if used appropriately. Ersilia will not provide you with login credentials but, if you choose to use ChatGPT, you may do so by signing up with a personal email and mobile number at https://chat.openai.com/, notwithstanding the present policy. The present policy sets out general guidelines, as well as forbidden and acceptable uses of ChatGPT, to ensure the safety of staff, the charity, and our partners, clients and suppliers.
At Ersilia, we value the potential for novel technologies to aid us in our mission. However, we are accutely aware of the limitations of AI systems. This policy is in place to ensure that the use of ChatGPT at Ersilia is safe and responsible. We also ask our external contractors, open source contributors, interns, volunteers or other community members to adhere to this policy when working with Ersilia's projects
It is good practice to keep the following in mind when using ChatGPT:
- ChatGPT is a tool, similar to using Google to browse the internet, or Word to write documents
- When you type into ChatGPT, you are giving information to the system’s developers at OpenAI
- Always ask yourself whether ChatGPT is the best tool for the task at hand (ask your colleagues or supervisor if you're not sure)
- Each time you start a new chat on ChatGPT, you are starting “from scratch” in the sense that it cannot reference other chats you had with it
- ChatGPT can provide inaccurate information, and all its responses must be carefully checked for errors
- ChatGPT is best used to feed back on one’s own work, and not to scrutinise others’ efforts
- When seeking feedback on text or code, it’s safest to provide only snippets to ensure you are minimising the amount of information divulged
- If you don’t want something to be in the public domain, then don’t type it into ChatGPT!
ChatGPT cannot be used in ways that may undermine Ersilia’s security and reputation. When using ChatGPT:
- You may not divulge sensitive information, such as passwords, addresses, bank details or phone numbers
- You may not type out or paste draft contracts, such as employment contracts or contracts with clients or providers
- You may not type out or paste documents that may contain business-sensitive data, such as draft annual reports, business cases and accounting reports
- You may not seek feedback on job applicants’ CVs by pasting them in in part or in full
- You may not type out or paste any kind of biological, health or associated information (such as small molecule sequences, genomic sequences, protein sequences or medical health records) that was not in the public domain before. Typing out known small molecule sequences, Aspirin for example, is accepted.
- You may not type out or paste proprietary code, documents or other information that is not intended for the public eye
- You may not type out or paste content that is subject to copyright licenses that do not allow for their indiscriminate sharing
ChatGPT is a powerful tool that can help streamline certain processes, revise text and structure thoughts. Below are suggested ways you can make the most of ChatGPT in a responsible way.
- Ask for a spell-check to ensure proper grammar (for example: "Please check the grammar of this sentence: "these processes must be seperated"")
- Ask for better ways to word a sentence (for example: “What's a better way of saying "our service is faster and more efficient"?”)
- Ask for the outline of reports if it is the first report of the sort (for example: “What's a useful outline of a recruitment report?”)
- Ask for the outline of a blogpost for inspiration (for example: I need to write a blogpost introducing privacy-enhancing technologies – how could it be structured?”)
- Ask for feedback on snippets of code or help with Excel formulas (for example: "I am using the Pandas Python package. How do I make a function that takes two dataframes and merges them based on a column names "smiles", removing duplicates.")
At Ersilia, we value the privacy and intellectual property rights of our employees. Whilst Ersilia may monitor your use of devices property of Ersilia, we will not increase our monitoring for the purpose of ChatGPT.
Furthermore, under Ersilia’s view, all ChatGPT’s outputs are of the user’s intellectual property, unless either:
- Resulting from prompts involving information from Ersilia, rendering Ersilia the rightful intellectual property owner; or
- The outputs are directly relevant to an employee or secondee's work, such that the intellectual property clause in your contract is enforced.
The present policy is to be reviewed by Ersilia leadership team once a year.
| Version number | Purpose/change | Author | Date approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Original template | Kairoi Ltd | 30 April 2023 |
| 1.0 | Ersilia modified template | Ersilia | 23rd May 2023 |