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We’re all becoming familiar with the many ways that artificial intelligence (AI) can help enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and support innovation across UVA Health. But as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility: team members are responsible for ensuring that when they use AI at work, they are using it safely, ethically, and in accordance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and patient privacy obligations. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so it’s an appropriate moment to pause and establish what safe AI use means at UVA Health. 

To support you, HIT has recently developed guidelines for AI technology use. If you have not already done so, please familiarize yourself with these guidelines, as it is the expectation that all team members adhere to them. Some key takeaways from the guidelines include:  

• Careful review of AI-generated content for accuracy and appropriateness.  
• Restriction of entering sensitive information of individuals into AI systems (ex: PHI — Protected Health Information) 
• Prevention of the use of AI as a substitute for subject matter expertise, including professional judgment, clinical expertise, or established standards of care. 
• Restriction of using AI tools to generate content that would be considered illegal, inappropriate, harmful or damaging to UVA Health’s brand or reputation.  
• Use only UVA Health-approved AI tools (ex: Copilot Basic and Premium versions) and report any concerns about inaccurate, biased, or potentially harmful outputs to HIT. 

By using AI responsibly, we help safeguard patient trust, maintain compliance, and support the delivery of safe, high-quality care. If you have questions or concerns regarding the use of AI tools or services, please contact the AI Governance Group at AIGov@uvahealth.org. If there are AI tools or services of interest to you or your team, please submit them for evaluation via the IT Risk Assessment and Intake Form. The governance team will review and follow up with their assessment.  

To learn more about safe AI use in healthcare, take this quick seven-minute training from our partners at KnowBe4: Library | KnowBe4.

Thanks for all that you do to use AI responsibly and to protect the data and systems that our care delivery relies on.