Data and IT Procurement Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Introduction

Please review the Generative Artificial Intelligence: Policy Intersections, Considerations, and Recommendations published by Minnesota State. The below information underscores key notes from the current Minnesota State guidance.

Procurement Process for AI Services

The Minnesota State guidance on generative AI services requires adherence to standard procurement processes, including legal, security, and contract reviews, even for zero-cost services. Authorized services with data security contracts include Adobe Express & Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat & Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Zoom AI Companion. Highly restricted or restricted data, like personal health information or student grades, must not be used with non-contracted services like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Anthropic Claude.

Authorized Generative AI Services

When signed in with your Minnesota State account, the below authorized services include generative AI capabilities that leverage a contractual agreement that ensures adherence to data security and data sharing protocols allowing non-public data to be used with the service.

  • Adobe Express & Creative Cloud
  • Zoom AI Companion
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
  • Microsoft 365 Applications (Included for most users)
    • Copilot Studio
    • Clipchamp
    • Forms
    • Power Automate
    • Reading, Search, and Speaker Coach
    • Teams Classroom
  • Microsoft 365 Applications (Additional Cost/License)
    • Microsoft 365 Copilot
    • Planner and Project Plan 3
    • Teams Premium

Data Use with AI Services

Providing or using highly restricted or restricted data in any third-party application or service, including generative AI services, requires a contractual agreement with the third party that ensures adherence to data security and data sharing protocols.

  • Highly Restricted – Social Security Numbers, personal health/medical information, banking, or credit card information, etc.
  • Restricted – Student grades, transcripts, class schedule, employee personal contact information, individual demographics including age, race, ethnicity, gender, etc.
  • Low – Data that by law is available to the public upon request.

No highly restricted or restricted data should be used with applications or services without a contract (examples: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude).

Content Accuracy

Always verify the accuracy of content generated by AI to ensure its reliability and correctness. Pay close attention to omitted data, inaccurate data, or unexpectedly added data.

Generative AI tools are not infallible, and their accuracy is subject to a variety of factors, including:

  • Prone to filling in replies with incorrect data if there is not enough information available on a subject.
  • Lack of the ability to understand the context of a particular situation, which can result in inaccurate outputs.
  • The extensive data sets used to train these models may contain biases, which can influence the outputs generated by the AI.
  • Algorithms used by these technologies can, and do, replicate, and produce biased, racist, sexist, etc. outputs, along with incorrect and/or misleading information.

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Related Articles (4)

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is a service accessible to Minnesota State employees and students, providing features such as summarization, data analysis, marketing, content creation, and drafting communications. It adheres to data security protocols and is similar to ChatGPT. It is an approved service allowing non-public data use.
Microsoft Clipchamp is a powerful video editing tool that allows users to create, edit, and share videos with ease. It offers a range of AI-powered features, making video creation more efficient and accessible. It's available to employees and students using their institutional account.
Zoom AI Companion is a generative AI assistant designed to enhance productivity and collaboration across the Zoom platform, including Meetings, Phone, Team Chat, Whiteboard, Email, and more. It is off by default and can be enabled via the Zoom settings. Key features include in-meeting questions, smart recording, meeting summaries, AI-generated virtual backgrounds, and meeting coaching analytics. Users are advised to review AI-generated content for accuracy.
Adobe Express for Education is the all-in-one design app to imagine, create, share, and collaborate in your classroom and beyond. Adobe Express for Education combines the best features of tools educators know and love, like Adobe Premiere Rush, Adobe Photoshop Express, Adobe Spark Video, and Adobe Spark Page, into one easy-to-use, yet powerful tool.