Our stance on Generative AI
(Updated 11/4/24)
At Hornsby Creative Group, we are committed to leveraging AI responsibly to enhance our services and uphold the values that define us: Loving Curiosity, Integrity, Flexibility, and Excellence. AI serves as a collaborator in our creative process, never a replacement for human ingenuity. This policy ensures our AI use is ethical, transparent, and aligned with our mission to empower leaders to grow with purpose, by design.
Guiding Principle
"At Hornsby Creative, we believe in the power of AI to enhance our creative and strategic capabilities, but not at the expense of ethical integrity and respect for human ingenuity. Our guiding principle is to employ AI technologies that adhere to our high ethical standards, focusing on contributing positively to our clients' goals while maintaining transparency, legal compliance, and respect for intellectual property. We are dedicated to continually evaluating the ethical implications of AI tools and prefer those with robust ethical guardrails. Through this policy, we aim to harness the benefits of AI responsibly, ensuring it serves as a collaborator, not a replacement, in our creative endeavors."
Hornsby Creative Ethical AI Policy
Purpose and Scope
This policy provides clear ethical guidelines for AI use within our team, partners, and client interactions, spanning all stages from discovery and design to delivery. By establishing transparent practices, we aim to build trust and give clients an informed choice in AI-assisted services, with the option to opt out.
AI Use Cases
Recognizing that AI applications are vast and rapidly evolving, this list reflects our current use cases but is not exhaustive:
- Synthesizing and analyzing data from discovery sessions and interviews
Assisting in drafting elements of brand strategy, communications, and marketing content
Supporting creative collaboration through ideation, brainstorming, and trend analysis
Enhancing SEO and research, adapting to the changes in generative search tools
Our approach integrates AI only under human oversight, with human intelligence driving and approving final outputs.
Ethical Use of AI Tools
We use third-party AI tools, selecting those that balance minimal harm with practical utility for our business objectives. Our guiding principles include:
Prioritizing providers that maintain ethical guardrails and transparency.
Focusing AI use on broad styles or trends, avoiding replication of specific artists’ work to respect intellectual property.
Prompting and interacting with AI tools in ways that align with fair use and ethical standards.
Adopting a strict No Deep Fakes Policy: We do not create or assist in synthetic media intended to impersonate real individuals or organizations, including synthetic video avatars or voice simulations. This decision aligns with our commitment to transparency, accuracy, and the prevention of misinformation.
Data Privacy and Security
Client trust is paramount, and we aim to balance data-driven insights with robust privacy practices. We ensure:
Client consent is obtained before using their data in any AI processes, with a choice for data anonymization wherever feasible.
Clients are made aware that using third-party AI tools could mean data is incorporated into model training by providers, even if we cannot control these processes.
In cases where anonymization is impractical, as in the creation of brand-specific language, explicit client consent is required to maintain transparency.
All data is handled with strict confidentiality and secure practices to safeguard client privacy.
Transparency and Communication
We prioritize transparency in all AI-related activities:
We communicate AI involvement during client onboarding and offer an opt-in/opt-out choice for AI-assisted services.
Our Ethical AI Policy is accessible on our website, reaffirming our commitment to responsible AI use.
AI-generated or AI-assisted content is clearly disclosed in client projects, keeping all stakeholders informed.
Environmental Considerations
We acknowledge the environmental impact of AI and encourage our team and clients to thoughtfully assess the necessity of AI use in each project. Before engaging AI tools, we consider if they add unique value that justifies their resource demands. As a future goal, we aim to explore offset initiatives with organizations focused on carbon reduction and water conservation to reinforce our commitment to sustainability.
Accountability and Governance
Hornsby Creative Group’s leadership is responsible for ensuring adherence to this policy, with quarterly reviews to maintain alignment with our ethical standards. Regular training on ethical AI practices is provided, reinforcing our commitment to responsible AI use across our team.
Policy Governance and Review
This policy is reviewed quarterly and updated as needed to reflect technological advancements, regulatory changes, and evolving ethical standards. Major changes in AI use within our organization will trigger an immediate review to uphold our commitment to ethics and integrity.
Ethical AI Implementation Checklist
Our Ethical AI Implementation Checklist ensures consistent adherence to our standards:
A. Ethical Use of AI Tools
Select reputable third-party AI tools that uphold high ethical standards.
Avoid replicating or infringing on copyrighted material.
Evaluate AI providers and models quarterly to ensure ethical compliance.
B. Data Privacy and Security
Obtain explicit client consent before using client data in AI.
Anonymize data where possible, and inform clients about third-party data use implications.
Ensure that third-party providers’ data policies align with our privacy and security standards.
C. Transparency Measures
Label all AI-generated or AI-assisted content clearly.
Inform clients when AI is used and offer an opt-out option.
Maintain public accessibility to our Ethical AI Policy.
D. Environmental Considerations
Encourage thoughtful use of AI to minimize energy and environmental impact.
Pursue environmental offsetting initiatives in the future to mitigate the resource demands of AI.
E. Accountability and Governance
Assign oversight responsibility to company management.
Conduct regular training sessions on ethical AI practices.
F. Preventing Misinformation
Verify the accuracy of AI-generated content prior to dissemination.
Avoid producing or endorsing misleading or deceptive content.
Adhere to our No Deep Fakes Policy to prevent erosion of trust and factual integrity.
