Navigating Generative AI Tools at the Department of Energy: Reference Guide and Best Practices

Department of Energy Releases Reference Guide for Generative AI Tools

Employees and contractors at the Department of Energy now have a new reference guide to help them navigate the use of generative AI tools at the agency. The 61-page document, published and distributed on DOE’s internal network on June 14, provides best practices and notes that ChatGPT is available for use by request.

This detailed reference guide is the first of its kind on generative AI that the department has shared publicly. While not considered a formal policy, it offers insight into how the DOE is approaching the technology.

Helena Fu, director of Energy’s Office of Critical and Emerging Technologies and its chief AI officer, emphasized the importance of educating agency personnel on the responsible use of generative AI. The guide includes best practices, government resources related to AI, and potential use cases within the department, such as creating voiceovers for educational videos and drafting interview questions.

To mitigate privacy and security risks, the guide advises users not to input sensitive data into a GenAI system without proper measures in place. It also recommends conducting privacy impact assessments and providing tailored training for employees with access to protected data.

The guide discourages the use of generative AI for producing confidential or mission-critical information and emphasizes the importance of understanding data rights when working with AI companies. The DOE’s GenAI Tiger Team, comprising over 70 stakeholders and subject matter experts, assembled the guide.

The document also addresses the department’s approach to specific generative AI services, with ChatGPT being one of the permitted tools. The DOE’s Office of the Chief Information Officer reviewed the risks and implemented a process for employees to request access to the platform.

As the technology landscape evolves, the guide will be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current knowledge, trends, risks, and best practices in the responsible use of generative AI. The DOE’s AI Hub is actively exploring additional AI technologies to enhance its capabilities.

Overall, the release of this reference guide marks a significant step in the DOE’s efforts to promote responsible and informed use of generative AI tools within the agency.