AI Policy

Our Commitment

New Society Publishers regards AI use as a tool. In the face of rapidly changing tools and technology, we commit as a company to centering and protecting the interests and livelihoods of creators and workers while leveraging these new tools. This policy is intended to enable our entire staff including freelancers to leverage AI tools while protecting our values and mitigating legal risks. Environmental impacts arising from use of AI tools will be included in our carbon and life cycle accounting.

New Society has never shied away from the vision of a world of change, and we remain steadfast in that throughout the very uncertain reality of AI and publishing. We remain committed to looking for ways to utilize this tool to create positive and equitable solutions for troubled times. We are actively working to be at the forefront of steering AI to be a positive asset to our employees, readers, and authors rather than a threat.

Policy Scope

All staff, new hires, freelancers, and contractors working with New Society Publishers need to familiarize themselves with this AI policy. The intent of this policy is to ensure we all give pause and reflect on the extent of the effects of using AI in any given situation and understand how it may relate to our specific strategic planning goals as well as the ethics of the company.

Targets

1. AI should be used for improving our products and processes while avoiding undesirable side effects, including but not limited to AI biases, discrimination, and theft of copyrighted material.
   Users of AI tools should remain aware that AI replicates human biases, understanding that AI extrapolates from an inherently flawed dataset. It is our job to discern its tendency to present us with misinformation and biased answers.
2. Staff and contractors should specify exactly how they are using AI tools.
   New Society Publishers will be transparent regarding data and AI use and will share a list on our website of the generative AI tools we use and in what capacity.
3. New Society Publishers will develop best practices and provide departmental training programs for those engaged in using AI, including EDI considerations, ethical considerations, and appropriate use of tools.
4. New Society Publishers will Implement an audit system (regularly checking the input and output data generated by the AI, its decision-making processes, staff best practices, and third-party AI tools, and so on, as deemed useful and appropriate)

Roles & Responsibilities For Staff & Contractors Working With New Society Publishers

1. When you choose to use an AI tool, for your product or service, please consider how it may affect different stakeholders, including minorities.
2. Staff and contractors should define clear objectives for their use of AI tools.
3. Follow best practices provided.
4. Contribute to AI audits as required.
5. If you are suspicious or not sure about the potential effects of your AI tool, please keep track of it as the development progresses and ensure that a diversity team will be involved in its deployment.
6. Keep track of all the AI models that you are using and the list of products/functions that you implemented these AI tools in. Tracking AI use assists us in being transparent about how and why we are using AI.
7. Do not feed proprietary data, such as customer information, author information, or sales data, to public AI models such as ChatGPT.

Policy Revision

This policy may be revised from time to time as needed, and updates will be clearly communicated to all staff. All teams should review this policy. New employees should review our AI policy and receive training regarding AI biases and their prevention, as well as the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion related to AI and its inherent biases.