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- Overview
- UH Guidance and Best Practices & AI Tool Decision Guide
- ITS Sponsored Tools
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- Resources
Overview
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have become widely available for everyday use. These tools focus on content creation (text, images, etc.) and have the capacity to expedite existing processes and make possible new ones. Within higher education, they have the potential to foster student learning and advance many aspects of research. While there are many benefits from the responsible use of AI, there are notable risks and limitations that should be taken into consideration when using these technologies, particularly in the following areas.
Privacy and security - Personal information shared as an input could potentially become public and/or repurposed to train the software’s learning model, violating data protection laws and UH policies.
Academic and research integrity and bias - Outputs may be factually inaccurate, misleading, biased, and/or discriminatory if we rely on the information without proper review. This puts us at risk of violating UH policies and potential liability.
Copyright - Confidential or proprietary information shared as an input may result in UH losing its intellectual property (IP) rights to that information. That information may be disclosed to unauthorized third parties through the use of AI tools.
AI-native tools - Online services whose primary purpose and core functionality are based on artificial intelligence.
AI-enhanced tools - Online services whose primary purpose is not AI, but that incorporate AI-powered features as part of their broader functionality.
Consequently, in addition to any formal policy UH adopts for AI, UH Policies on privacy and security (e.g., EP 2.210, EP 2.214, EP 2.215, AP 7.022), academic and research integrity and bias (e.g., EP 1.202, EP 1.204, EP 7.208, EP 12.211); and copyright (e.g., EP 12.205) should also be observed.
AI Tools
ITS Approved Tools: Intended Use
| General Assistance |
Coding |
Research |
Creative |
Meetings |
Data & Analytics |
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 Google Gemini
Licensed for all
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 Gemini Notebook
Licensed for all
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 Zoom
Limited Site License
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 Otter.ai
Paid Site License
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ITS Approved Tools by Data Classification Category
The matrix below outlines where common AI tools fall according to the University of Hawaiʻi Data Classification Categories ( EP 2.214). The type of data you are allowed to input into an AI tool depends directly on whether its terms and conditions have been negotiated with UH regarding privacy, security, and AI model training.
- ITS-approved tools and site licenses. Have undergone formal ITS security and privacy reviews. Contractual agreements ensure your prompts and files are not reviewed by humans or used to train public AI models.
- Non ITS-approved / personal subscriptions. Standard commercial versions lack institutional safeguards and are restricted strictly to Public Data.
| AI Tools by Data Classification Category | ||||
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AI Tool
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UH Data Classification Category | |||
| Public (No Risk) |
Restricted (Low Risk) |
Sensitive (Medium Risk) |
Regulated (High Risk) |
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| Google Gemini (including Pro version) ITS approved tool |
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| Gemini Notebook ITS approved tool |
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| Zoom AI Companion ITS site license |
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| Otter.ai ITS site license |
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ITS-nonapproved Tools |
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Data Classification Quick Reference
- Public (No Risk): Please note that although names are normally considered public data, in this instance, we consider it to be PII that should not be entered into any AI tool, given that the name will likely be associated with other data.
- Restricted (Low Risk): UH ID number, student contact information
- Sensitive (Medium Risk): Student education records (FERPA), demographic data, personal employee data, intellectual property and other non-public research data.
- Regulated (High Risk): SSN, driver’s license number, patient health information (HIPAA), credit card/financial data, data that is subject to research regulations and/or contractual obligations.
More examples of data by Data Classification (UH login required)
*Practice AI Prompt Sanitization when utilizing Public, Restricted, or Sensitive data with AI. Regulated data should never be utilized with AI.
Allowed with Caution
The following meeting transcription, research, and productivity assistants are not approved by ITS. They may only be used with strictly Public Data .
- Read.ai
- Fathom
- Fireflies.ai
- Perplexity
- Notion
Reasons for caution:
- Model training . By default, user inputs, transcripts, and uploaded documents are stored and used to train third-party models.
- Ecosystem access . These tools request broad read/write permissions to integrate with your accounts (e.g., auto-joining calendar meetings even when you are absent, accessing email, scanning Google Drive files, and storing meeting notes).
- Privacy leaks . Background bots can expose your meeting discussion to third-party servers without meeting attendees' consent. Unless you understand what the tool is doing on your behalf, we strongly recommend you do not use these tools.
Prohibited AI Tools
The following tools are strictly prohibited for any University work, research, or operational purposes due to severe security, privacy, and compliance risks.
- OpenClaw
- DeepSeek
Reasons for Prohibition:
- Security Risks . Known critical security vulnerabilities, unencrypted data exposure, or unverified data-handling pipelines.
- Jurisdictional and regulatory non-compliance . Lack of compliance with U.S. federal and UH institutional data governance requirements, creating high exposure to intellectual property theft or data breaches.
- Prohibited code and binary execution . Potential for untrusted foreign remote execution or unauthorized access to endpoint systems.
UH Guidance and Best Practices & AI Tool Decision Guide
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The University of Hawaii has initiated a comprehensive, cross-functional effort to equip the UH community with essential tools, guidance, and best practices for effectively integrating AI into academic and professional environments. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop and implement policy changes that address the evolving impact of AI on work and education. AI Tools UH Guidance and Best Practices for Faculty and Staff*. *Official UH login (@hawaii.edu) required. *UH community members may send questions and comments regarding the draft AI Tools UH Guidance and Best Practices for Faculty and Staff to datagov@hawaii.edu. |
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Thinking about using an AI tool? 🔍 What it’s for: 🛠️ How to use it: 🔗 Learn more and access the full guide: AI Tool Decision Guide (Official UH “@hawaii.edu” login required) |
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Even when using approved AI tools with "no training" data clauses, the best practice is to sanitize your prompts to eliminate accidental data exposure. Make these two habits standard practice:
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Training and Presentations
Interested in learning more about AI?
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Resources
UH OneAI Hub
UH Sponsored AI Tool Resources
UH Advisory Council
UH Faculty, Staff and Student Resources
- UHM Office for Vice President for Academic Excellence - Guidance on AI
- UH ITS Reviewed Instructional Third-Party Online Tools
- UH Online - AI Recommendations
- UH Online - Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
- UH Online Innovation Center - Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- UH Online Innovation Center - AI Decision Tree
- UH Online Innovation Center - Artificial Intelligence (AI) Resources for Teaching and Learning
- UH Online Innovation Center - Artificial Intelligence (AI) Syllabi Icons and Sample Statements