Data Ethics Committee
AI Governance and Review
At Purdue University, we are committed to the responsible and ethical development of artificial intelligence. Our focus on AI ethics and governance ensures that our AI systems are designed and implemented in a manner that upholds fairness, transparency, accountability and privacy. By integrating these principles into our practices, we aim to harness the transformative power of AI while safeguarding the rights and well-being of individuals and society.
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What is the use case review process?
Purdue University policy requires AI use cases that use Purdue data and/or make decisions on behalf of humans must be reviewed and approved by the Data Ethics Committee. No matter which track your request follows, we check these critical areas:
- Legal and policy compliance: FERPA, GDPR, ADA, HIPPA and institutional policy
- Data protection and privacy: data minimization, PII handling, consent if applicable
- Bias and fairness: checks for discrimination or disparate impact
- Transparency and explainability: how decisions are made; ability to audit or contest
- Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 compliance
- Security: data storage, transmission, access controls
- Accountability: defined ownership, incident handling, escalation paths
Our Data Ethics Committee will quickly review your submission and assign it to the right track based on risk level. This initial sorting helps us give you the most appropriate review process and clear expectations about timing. Start by filling out our online form with details about the AI tool you want to use.
Low-risk tools like writing assistants and basic productivity helpers go through our streamlined quick review process. You’ll complete a self-assessment checklist, and we’ll review your request within five business days. This track is designed for everyday tools with no high-risk indicators.
When leadership needs urgent approval or when your tool is very similar to something we’ve already approved, we use our expedited review track. You’ll need to provide a detailed use case description and reference the existing use case that it’s similar to. Our collaborative review team, including legal, data, IT security and accessibility experts, will complete the review within two weeks.
A comprehensive review is triggered when the risk associated with the use case is medium or high. In these situations, the committee will request additional information to thoroughly evaluate key aspects, confirming that the benefits outweigh the risks to the university. This review will take place during the committee’s monthly meetings, held on the first Tuesday of each month. It is crucial to submit responses to the review questions at least a week before the meeting to allow sufficient time for review prior to voting. Follow our submission guidance and best practices to significantly reduce delays in processing.
If your request gets denied, you can appeal by submitting additional documentation or explaining how you’ll modify your use case to address our concerns.
We can initiate monitoring early if concerns are reported about how a tool is being used. Contact us if you believe an approved use case is being utilized inappropriately or without approval.
Who’s on the Committee?
INITIATE YOUR AI REVIEW
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Questions or Ideas About AI at Purdue?
Connect with Kenny Wilson, director of artificial intelligence and automation.