AI and Protecting Your Community Group

Many community and not-for-profit groups across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes are already using artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their everyday work and when used carefully and responsibly it can be a great tool to help save time and reduce admin pressure. But like any tool, it also comes with risks.  AI use can raise questions around privacy, data security, accuracy, bias and intellectual property.  So, groups need to be mindful of what information they share with AI tools and how content is checked before it's used.  Here are some key AI principles to help protect your organisation:

Privacy and Data Protection 

Protecting personal and organisational information is essential.

• No personal, confidential, or sensitive information should be entered into any AI or large language model (LLM) system.
• Personal information includes (but is not limited to):
  • Names and contact details
  • Financial information
  • Health or wellbeing information
  • Any information that could identify clients, staff, volunteers, or members
• AI use should be aligned with the Privacy Act 2020, with no identifiable personal data shared.

Human Oversight and Accuracy 

Think of AI as a support tool and not a replacement for people.  It makes mistakes and can produce information that isn't accurate, so make sure that all AI-generated content is reviewed by a person before it is used or shared.  

Transparency

Where AI-generated content is used publicly, users should disclose that AI assistance was used (e.g., “drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by [name]”).

Why your organisation needs an AI policy

Even when AI feels informal or low risk, it's important to have some simple, shared expectations about how AI can be used safely and appropriately, so privacy is protected and people understand their responsibilities. An AI policy helps:

• Sets clear expectations about how AI tools can (and can’t) be used
• Protects sensitive information and personal data
• Supports transparency and accountability in public communications
• Reduces reputational and legal risk
• Helps staff and volunteers feel confident about what’s okay

An AI policy shouldn't be technical or complicated; it needs to be easy to read and understand for anyone in your organisation.  There is a template you can access here from Weave Together.   

Parry Field Lawyers has also created a free AI Hub, which includes a variety of resources to help keep you safe when using AI.  You can check it out here.

Sport New Zealand have a webinar you can download here, looking at understanding how AI can benefit your organisation and how to effectively manage its adoption.