Is it time to update your AI Guidelines?

by Lisa Mackay

Artificial intelligence has evolved rapidly over the past few years, and so have the questions surrounding its use in the arts. Whether you're a keen adopter of AI or taking a cautious or oppositional approach, if your organization developed AI guidelines when tools such as ChatGPT first emerged (like we did!), now is a good time to revisit them.

We took a fresh look at our Responsible AI Commitments and Responsible AI Guidelines to see if they still held up against the ways AI is being used today. Rather than starting from scratch, we reviewed what had changed, what had stayed the same, and where new considerations around copyright, accessibility, environmental impact, transparency, and human oversight needed to be addressed. Most importantly, we wanted to ensure the documents continued to reflect our values and our commitment to supporting artists and the arts sector.

These revisions are also part of a much broader conversation. In March, I attended the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture in Banff, where artists, cultural organizations, technology experts, funders, and government representatives came together to explore both the opportunities and the significant concerns AI presents for the cultural sector.

That national conversation is now moving into a new phase. On June 4, the Government of Canada launched AI for All, its new national artificial intelligence strategy. As part of the strategy, Canadian Heritage is developing a new Creative Technology Program, a $50-million initiative intended to help the cultural sector respond to rapid technological change, including the adoption and impact of AI.

Canadian Heritage is currently inviting artists, cultural workers, and organizations to complete its National Survey on the Cultural Sector’s Readiness for Artificial Intelligence. The survey is an important opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed program and, more broadly, on how AI is affecting the arts and culture sector, what kinds of support organizations need, and how public investment can encourage responsible adoption while protecting artists and cultural expression. The survey is open until September 15, 2026.

AI technology changes quickly, but responsible governance is an ongoing process. Guidelines written two or three years ago may no longer reflect today’s tools, risks, or opportunities. We encourage organizations to review their AI policies and commitments periodically to ensure they remain practical, accurate, and aligned with both their values and the way AI is actually being used.

It is also important to ensure that your expectations extend beyond employees. We recently heard from a funded organization that discovered, only after the work had been delivered, that an external consultant had used AI to complete their project. Whether or not that use was appropriate, the experience highlighted the importance of establishing clear expectations at the beginning of a working relationship. Organizations should consider sharing their AI policies and commitments with contractors, consultants, freelancers, and other service providers, and asking them to confirm that they have read and will follow them while working on the organization’s behalf.

We hope Rozsa Foundation’s updated Responsible AI Commitments and Responsible AI Guidelines provide a useful starting point for your own conversations. Like the technology itself, these documents should continue to evolve.