Artificial Intelligence Use Guidelines
Saint Louis University is committed to the thoughtful, ethical and mission-aligned use of artificial intelligence. As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, we recognize that technology should serve the common good, respect human dignity and strengthen — not diminish — human creativity, judgment and relationships.
These guidelines establish expectations for the use of AI by faculty and staff in creating, managing and distributing official University communications and marketing initiatives. They are intended to complement, not replace, applicable University guidelines on use of AI and policies governing data protection, privacy, intellectual property, accessibility, information security and records management.
Guiding Principles
- Human creativity, judgment and accountability come first. AI may assist with research, ideation, analysis, accessibility and limited production tasks, but it must not replace human expertise, creativity, judgment or accountability. A SLU employee must remain responsible for the accuracy, appropriateness, quality and ethical integrity of all AI-assisted work.
- Authenticity and truthfulness are essential. Official University communications must accurately represent SLU, its people, campus, programs and experiences. AI must never be used to create or alter content in ways that could mislead audiences about what is real, who participated or what occurred.
- AI use should reflect SLU’s mission and values. AI-assisted work should respect human dignity, promote inclusion and the common good, and reflect SLU’s Catholic, Jesuit identity. Employees should consider potential bias, inequity, stereotyping and other unintended consequences when using AI.
- Transparency matters. Generative AI use should be disclosed when it substantively contributes to public-facing content or materially alters an original work. When disclosure is required, Marcom will determine the appropriate form and placement of that disclosure based on the medium and circumstances.
- Protect people, information and intellectual property. Employees must not enter confidential, sensitive, proprietary or personally identifiable information into AI tools unless the tool and use have been approved for that information. AI use must comply with University privacy, data protection, security and intellectual property requirements. Employees are responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted work does not infringe copyright, trademark, publicity or other rights.
- Verify before publishing. AI systems can produce inaccurate, biased, fabricated or otherwise inappropriate information and imagery. All AI-assisted content and imagery must be reviewed by leadership within your unit before publication, deployment or distribution.
Specific-Use Cases
Authentic representation of campus life, people and experiences must remain the foundation of SLU visual communications.
AI may support photography and design through brainstorming, concept development, accessibility support, image restoration and limited editing. It may also assist with routine production tasks when the resulting work remains an accurate representation of the subject.
Fully AI-generated imagery is prohibited in official marketing and public-facing materials. AI must not be used to fabricate photographs of SLU people, places, events or experiences or to create fictional representations that could reasonably be mistaken for authentic SLU photography.
AI-generated or significantly AI-altered visual content must be clearly disclosed when used in an approved context. AI must not be used to imitate the identifiable style of a living artist or to alter a person’s likeness in a deceptive or unauthorized manner.
AI may be used as a tool for layout, structure, and organization of content, provided the content and imagery comply with university brand standards and AI guidelines.
All AI-assisted photography and design must respect privacy, copyright, accessibility and human dignity and must undergo human review for accuracy, ethical integrity and alignment with SLU brand standards, mission and values.
AI-generated imagery often inaccurately reproduces logos and other branded elements. AI systems tend to create approximations of institutional marks rather than accurately reproducing the actual logo, resulting in distorted or incorrect representations of SLU’s identity.
AI-generated imagery should not be used to create, recreate or modify University logos, marks or other branded assets. Visuals created using AI should not be prompted to feature or incorporate University brand marks. When University branding is needed, approved brand assets should be added separately and in accordance with University brand standards.
AI may be used to support marketing and advertising workflows, including research, audience analysis, planning, optimization and other appropriate analytical or creative processes.
AI-generated or AI-assisted marketing and advertising content must be reviewed for accuracy, fairness, brand alignment and compliance with applicable laws and University policies. AI outputs must not be accepted as factual without appropriate verification.
AI tools may not be used to create marketing or advertising that misleads or deceives an audience or that imitates an individual’s likeness, identity or voice without appropriate consent.
AI inputs must comply with University requirements for privacy, data protection, security and intellectual property. Employees should not provide confidential or personally identifiable information to an AI system for marketing and communication purposes.
Any AI use that substantively contributes to marketing or advertising content must be disclosed to SLU Marcom. New marketing or advertising initiatives involving AI-driven platforms, services or significant AI-generated content must be reviewed by Marcom before commitment to ensure that the platform, terms and proposed use meet University requirements.
Authentic depictions of SLU and truthful storytelling must remain the foundation of all University communications.
AI may support the writing process through brainstorming, research assistance, outlining, limited editing, proofreading, translation assistance and accessibility support. AI may not replace the human authorship, judgment and editorial responsibility required for official University communications.
Fully AI-generated writing is prohibited in official marketing and public-facing materials. AI-generated text may be used as a starting point or supporting resource only when substantially reviewed, revised and shaped by an SLU employee who is accountable for the final content.
All factual claims, quotations, names, statistics and other substantive information produced or informed by AI must be independently verified before publication. AI-assisted writing must also be reviewed for tone, accuracy, bias, originality, accessibility and alignment with SLU’s brand, mission and values.
Authentic, accurate and accessible representations of SLU must remain the foundation of all University websites, web applications and digital experiences.
AI may assist with research, ideation, accessibility, limited content development and technical tasks involving web content, images, video, code, scripts and digital functionality. However, AI must never replace human expertise, judgment, accountability or review.
All AI-generated or AI-assisted written content, graphics, photography, images, video, programming, scripting and application functionality must be reviewed and approved by leadership within your unit before publication or deployment on SLU.edu, official social media channels, University applications or other official University digital channels.
In addition to accuracy and brand alignment, review must consider accessibility, privacy, security, functionality, bias and ethical implications. AI-generated code and technical outputs must be tested and reviewed before deployment.
When in Doubt
The use of AI in University marketing and communications should be guided by a simple standard: AI should help us communicate more effectively without compromising authenticity, human dignity, trust or accountability.
When an intended use of AI could materially affect how an audience understands SLU, its people or its work — or when there is uncertainty about privacy, intellectual property, disclosure, consent or ethical implications — employees should consult Matt Krob, creative director at SLU, before proceeding.
The goal is not to prohibit responsible innovation. It is to ensure that, as AI continues to evolve, SLU’s communications remain recognizably human: truthful, thoughtful, inclusive and grounded in the University’s Catholic, Jesuit mission.