Technology is integral to WWF-Canada’s work and part of our culture. As Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) becomes more interwoven into society, it too may become integral and part of WWF-Canada’s work and culture. As a conservation organization that relies on our people, our supporters, and evidence, we are taking a cautious approach to GenAI adaptation.
Our organization has a Data and AI Governance Committee that sets policies and reviews proposals for GenAI solutions. We have implemented a living GenAI policy, which is human-centric, meaning we use GenAI thoughtfully and that our people are always the decision-makers. Our policy outlines GenAI biases and how to mitigate those biases. Moreover, we prohibit the use of GenAI for the following:
- Indigenous data and knowledge – GenAI would not be used to capture, share, process, generate, replicate, or reinterpret any data, knowledge, or culture expressions originating from Indigenous communities.
- Youth data – GenAI would not be used to process, generate, or analyze any data that we collect from minors.
- Images and videos – GenAI would not be used to create, edit, or modify images or videos of nature or to give the impression of real-life situations.
- Hiring and recruitment – GenAI would not be used to screen, rank, or assess candidate responses, and GenAI would not be used to select candidates for employment. We know that our recruitment portal (ADP) asks applicants to opt-in to an AI screening tool (“ADP Disclaimer”), we do not use this tool; unfortunately, we cannot disable the ADP Disclaimer.
- Sensitive and confidential information – GenAI would not be used to process, generate, or analyze any sensitive, confidential, or personally identifiable information.
While we are learning about GenAI and its environmental footprint, we are tracking our use of Microsoft CoPilot Chat to calculate our environmental footprint attributed to GenAI use and to evaluate offsetting options.
