Use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) by employees
Dear Croydon Borough Council,
I am writing to make an open government request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would like answers to the question below:
1.) Are your employees allowed to use generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT, Bard, Claude, Jasper, etc.) in the workplace for work purposes?
2.) Do you have a usage policy in place on the use of generative AI in the workplace? (NOTE: If employees are not allowed to use generative AI as per Q1, please answer “yes”).
3.) If yes to the above question, can you please share your usage policy with us?
4.) Have you had incidents of the following since Jan 1st 2022? If possible please also share the number of incidents.
a.) Employees using generative AI outside the bounds of the workplace usage policy (if one exists)?
b.) Employees sharing confidential information (e.g. private personal data of employees or residents; confidential financial information) on generative AI platforms
5.) Has your organisation taken disciplinary action against employees for their use of generative AI – e.g. for using it outside the bounds of the workplace usage policy? If possible, please also share the number of incidents.
6.) Assuming your employees can use generative AI platforms at work – can they use publicly available open source tools like ChatGPT, Bard, Claude, and Jasper?
7.) Do you have a specific technology budget allocated to implementing generative AI tools in the workplace, and/or educating employees on their use? If so, and if possible, can you share the budget between Jan 1 2022 and Dec 31st 2024 (or nearest equivalent)?
If it’s easier, I am more than happy to receive this data in an Excel spreadsheet or whichever format best suits you.
If answering the above questions is not possible, could you please advise as to what relevant information would be attainable, or where the information might already exist in the public domain?
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could advise me as to what relevant information is attainable and what steps I need to take to receive it?
I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
Yours faithfully,
Sarah Harris
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]
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you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.
Dear Sarah Harris
Freedom of information request - FOI/8644
Subject: FOI - Employee use of chatGPT
Your request is being considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, subject to the application of
any exemptions. Where consideration is being given to exemptions the 20
working day timescale may be extended to a period considered reasonable
depending on the nature and circumstances of your request. In such cases
you will be notified and, where possible, a revised time-scale will be
indicated. In all cases we shall attempt to deal with your request at the
earliest opportunity.
If we are unable to provide you with the information requested we will
notify you of this together with the reason(s) why, and details of how you
may appeal.
Please note that the directorate team may contact you for further
information where we believe that the request is not significantly clear
for us to respond fully.
Kind Regard
Information Management Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
7th Floor, Zone B
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]
Dear Sarah Harris
Request FOI/8644
Further to your request received on 08/11/2023, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000. For ease of reference, I will now address each of your questions in
turn.
1. Are your employees allowed to use generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT, Bard,
Claude, Jasper, etc.) in the workplace for work purposes?.
We have not prohibited the use of Generative AI tools
2.) Do you have a usage policy in place on the use of generative AI in
the workplace? (NOTE: If employees are not allowed to use generative
AI as per Q1, please answer “yes”).
No
3.) If yes to the above question, can you please share your usage
policy with us?
N/A
4.) Have you had incidents of the following since Jan 1st 2022? If
possible please also share the number of incidents.
N./A
a.) Employees using generative AI outside the bounds of the workplace
usage policy (if one exists)?
No
b.) Employees sharing confidential information (e.g. private personal
data of employees or residents; confidential financial information) on
generative AI platforms.
???????No
5.) Has your organisation taken disciplinary action against employees
for their use of generative AI – e.g. for using it outside the bounds
of the workplace usage policy? If possible, please also share the
number of incidents.
No
6.) Assuming your employees can use generative AI platforms at work –
can they use publicly available open source tools like ChatGPT, Bard,
Claude, and Jasper?
We do not have a specific policy and these open source AI platforms
are currently accessible to users
7.) Do you have a specific technology budget allocated to implementing
generative AI tools in the workplace, and/or educating employees on
their use? If so, and if possible, can you share the budget between
Jan 1 2022 and Dec 31st 2024 (or nearest equivalent)?
We do not have a specific generative AI budget
The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)
To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:
[1]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)
If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act, you may ask for an internal review.
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response.
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:
Email: [2][Croydon Borough Council request email]
Writing: Information Team
London Borough of Croydon
Bernard Weatherill House
Floor 7 - Zone B
8 Mint Walk
Croydon, CR0 1EA
Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
Information Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House,
Mint Walk,
Croydon,
CR0 1EA
[3][Croydon Borough Council request email]
[4][email address]
References
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1. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/
2. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]
3. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]
4. mailto:[email address]
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