The UBC Privacy Matters team has released an Interim report that outlines the Privacy Impact Assessment Guidelines for Third-Party Hosted Generative AI Tools. One of the key takeaways of this report is that if instructors would like to require classroom use of AI tools, then they need to make sure it is optional for students to sign up for an AI tool if that tool requires students to supply their personal information, such as an email address. Therefore, instructors can recommend or require students to use the following tools in their course with caution:
- ChatGPT (Free/Basic Version)
- Microsoft Copilot for Organizations
If Generative AI tools are integrated into classroom instruction or assignments, instructors should inform students about responsible use, as outlined in the Privacy Matters interim report and other university-issued directives. Students should be instructed on safe use of this tool, because the risk of accidentally entering personal information or intellectual property is high.
Please note: In August 2025 GPT-5 was available to free ChatGPT users, but OpenAI has locked this option behind paid accounts and the free model is now likely GPT-4o mini, but OpenAI has also removed the ability for free users to see which model is being used, so we recommend not specifying which model is required for students and rather just refer to this as the ChatGPT Free or Basic version to reduce confusion.
Subscribe