I founded Ideal Design in 2006 on the core values of quality, transparency, responsibility, integrity and sustainability. These values guide all aspects of the business, including our approach to artificial intelligence. As such, I (and any contractors who work on our projects) make the following commitments:

Quality

The strength of Ideal Design is our ability to deliver outcomes for nonprofits. This work is built on decades of collaborative relationships with our clients. We will not use AI to write emails to clients, or to replace the human voice in our communications.

Transparency

We acknowledge a distinction between “assistive” or “narrow” AI tools—such as those embedded in industry-standard software—and “generative” AI, which is meant to duplicate human creativity. As a creative agency, we may employ assistive tools as part of our digital editing workflow. We will not use AI to generate logos or layouts, make design recommendations, or replace our creative process.

Responsibility 

We will not feed clients’ intellectual property into a generative engine. This is in violation of our contracts with our clients, and a breach of confidentiality. We take copyright and legal compliance very seriously—both as a creative business, and as a duty to our clients. Regulation around AI-generated works is nascent and shifting, and we will continue to monitor the landscape.

That said, we can certainly work with any materials our clients provide, whether AI-generated or otherwise. All such content falls under the terms of our existing contracts regarding client-provided materials (under “Miscellaneous”). 

Integrity

Nonprofits work hard to earn and keep the trust of their communities, and we are privileged to help our clients tell real stories. A lack of transparency around AI-generated imagery can contribute to a growing sense of public mistrust. We will not use AI to falsely represent people or places.

Sustainability

AI engines demand tremendous natural resources, for which there is currently little means for accountability. Additionally, the economic structure of the AI industry has great potential to exacerbate systemic social inequities. We will continue to advocate for measures that address those concerns, and to strive for our vision to make the world better, greener and more fair. 

 

Feedback is welcome to [email protected]. I will continue to revisit our position as technology changes, and as we deepen our understanding of how to best support our clients’ missions.