What Is Publicly Available GenAI?
Publicly available GenAI tools – such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude – are platforms anyone can access online. Because these tools are hosted by third parties, they are not protected by state security systems and do not follow state privacy or security requirements.
That means any information you share in these tools can be sent to the provider’s servers and stored, reviewed and used in other ways.
In some cases, your agency might have acquired licenses for publicly available generative AI tools. If so, these have gone through the necessary processes, making them safer for official work because they meet the state’s privacy, security and data protection standards.
Publicly available generative AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. It can produce inaccurate, biased or even fabricated content. It also poses privacy and security risks if misused.
Top Five Things to Remember
- Never share sensitive information. Anything you enter becomes public, so do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), financial data, trade secrets or proprietary code.
- Review and fact-check everything. AI outputs can sometimes be wrong or misleading and even biased. Always verify its accuracy and viewpoints.
- Disclose AI assistance. If AI substantially drafts your content, note it clearly.
- Use only commonly known tools. Due to security concerns, the State of North Carolina has deemed some tools unsafe or high risk.
- Follow agency policies. If your agency has additional requirements, those take precedence over the statewide policy.
Risks You Can’t Ignore
- Public disclosure: Anything entered into public AI tools is considered public and is subject to the state’s public records law.
- Legal exposure: AI-generated content may infringe on copyright or intellectual property.
- Bias and hallucinations: AI can make up facts or reflect historical biases.
- Security vulnerabilities: Using AI for code generation can introduce risks.
Your Role in Responsible AI
AI should empower – not replace – your judgment. By following these guidelines, you help protect privacy, security and fairness while serving the people of North Carolina.
- Educate yourself. Complete assigned AI training to help ensure you know how to safely and effectively use GenAI tools.
- Report any concerns. Notify your supervisor and your agency’s security office with concerns or breaches relating to AI and the use of publicly available GenAI tools.