AI Policy

The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

A. Purpose

This Policy (“Policy”) establishes guidelines for the ethical development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems within The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”). It aims to promote responsible AI practices that enhance the membership experience, respect human rights, promote societal benefits, and mitigate potential risks associated with AI technologies. The Chamber recognizes AI's potential to significantly improve services, increase productivity, and streamline operational efficiency.


This Policy exemplifies the Chamber's ongoing commitment to positioning itself as a forward-thinking leader driving innovation by exploring and leveraging advanced technologies such as AI to create value for its members, partners, and the broader communities it serves.


B. Scope

This Policy applies to all AI systems developed, procured, or utilized by The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce. This includes, but is not limited to, machine learning models, generative AI systems (such as large language models like ChatGPT), deep learning and neural networks, natural language processing, computer vision and image recognition, robotics and robotic systems, automated systems, and process automation.


The purpose of this Policy is to provide employees with guidelines for the responsible use of AI Tools while protecting The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce and mitigating the risk of misuse, unethical outcomes, potential biases, inaccuracy, and information security breaches.


This Policy is intended to add to, not contradict, limit, or replace, applicable mandatory rules, policies, legal requirements, legal prohibitions, and contractual obligations, all of which remain in full force and effect. Any use of AI Tools under this Policy must comply with the relevant policies, internal controls, and guidelines of The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce.


This Policy covers the entire lifecycle of AI systems, from research, development, and pre-training, to deployment, testing, operation, monitoring, fine-tuning, and eventual retirement, or decommissioning. It encompasses AI systems used for internal operations, member services, marketing and communications, research and development, and any other applications or initiatives involving AI technologies.


C. Guiding Principles

  1. Human Rights and Human Oversight: AI systems shall be designed and operated in a manner that respects human rights, including privacy, nondiscrimination, and due process. Implementation and use of any new AI systems will involve human oversight and ensure that intervention capabilities are in place.
  2. Fairness, Non-Discrimination, and Inclusion: The Chamber is deeply committed to developing and utilizing AI systems that are inclusive, accessible, and equitable for all individuals, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristic.
  3. Privacy, Security, and Data Protection: The development and use of AI systems shall adhere to strict privacy and data protection regulations, ensuring the security, integrity, and confidentiality of personal and organizational data.
  4. Alignment with Mission, Vision, DEI, and Strategic Plan: AI systems and use will be monitored and audited to ensure they are aligned with the Chamber's Mission, Vision, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement, and the Strategic Plan.
  5. Societal Benefit and Environmental Sustainability: AI systems should be designed and deployed in a manner that promotes social good, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability for the greater Bethesda community and beyond.


D. Areas of AI Use

The Chamber may leverage AI in the following areas, while adhering to the guiding principles outlined in this Policy:


  1. Member Services: Personalization of content, automated customer support, chatbots, and virtual assistants
  2. Operations: Data analysis and insights, automation of routine tasks, process optimization, and intelligent decision support systems.
  3. Marketing and Communications: Targeted messaging, content generation, social media analysis, user persona development, search engine optimization (SEO), audience segmentation and sentiment analysis, and digital advertising optimization.
  4. Research and Development: Identifying trends, generating insights, and developing new products, services, or business models for the benefit of Chamber members, the greater Bethesda business community, and beyond.


When employing AI, employees must:


  1. Use AI only for the purposes expressly authorized under this Policy
  2. Not enter any The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce, employee, customer, or third-party confidential, trade secret, or other personal or proprietary information into a prompt for an AI Tool.
  3. Avoid using offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content.
  4. Thoroughly review all AI-outputs before using them or forwarding them to others inside or outside The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce. Such review should ensure that the outputs do not contain biased, offensive, or discriminatory content; do not improperly use or disclose personal or confidential information; and that any outputs are independently verified for accuracy.


Employees are prohibited from using AI to:


  1. Conduct or solicit illegal activities.
  2. Infringe on the rights of others, including intellectual property or privacy rights.
  3. Interfere with other employees’ job performance.


This Policy is not intended to restrict communications or actions protected or required by state or federal law.


E. Governance and Implementation


  1. Risk Assessment and Impact Evaluation: Regular risk assessments and impact evaluations of AI will be conducted to identify and mitigate potential risks, including privacy, security, fairness, and societal implications
  2. Human Resources and Training: The Chamber may invest in developing AI capabilities among its workforce through training and upskilling initiatives. Chamber employees using AI systems will receive training on appropriate use cases and practical applications of AI, ethical AI practices, bias mitigation, prompt engineering, and effective tactics for leveraging AI technology safely.
  3. Third-Party Partnerships and Procurement: Before acquiring AI-related products or services from third-party vendors or entering into partnerships involving such offerings, due diligence processes will be conducted to evaluate the vendors' ethical practices and AI governance frameworks.
  4. Compliance with Legal Standards: AI systems will comply with all relevant laws and regulations, ensuring legal and ethical integrity. This Policy will be reviewed by the Chamber’s legal counsel to ensure it complies with all legal requirements.


F. Review and Updates


This Policy will be reviewed and may be updated periodically to reflect advancements in AI technology, evolving ethical considerations, regulatory changes, and stakeholder feedback. The Chamber's Executive Committee will be responsible for this review and updates to this Policy.


G. Approval and Transparency


This Policy has been approved by the Board of Directors of The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce at the October 2025 Board of Directors meeting. The Policy has been made publicly available on the Chamber's website on a dedicated webpage, and a hyperlink to it titled “AI Policy” has been placed in the Chamber website’s global footer for enhanced transparency and accessibility.


H. Violations


Any violation of this Policy will result in an internal investigation conducted by the Chamber's Executive Committee. The result of which may include discipline, up to and including termination of employment.


I. Effective Date


This Policy is effective as of October 2025.

The Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy