CommonAI Code of Conduct

Introduction and Purpose

The overall mission of CommonAI C.I.C. (CommonAI) is to promote the creation and use of safe and responsible artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies globally for community benefit.

CommonAI aims to achieve its mission through working on collaborative programmes (Programmes) with the organisations that form its membership (Members). This includes start-up companies, financial institutions, government agencies, and research institutions such as universities, both in the UK and around the world.

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to support effective collaboration between CommonAI, Members and their teams, by setting ground rules for participants in CommonAI and its Programmes. The overall aim is to ensure that CommonAI is a welcoming, respectful and effective collaborative community.

Scope: when does this Code of Conduct apply?

This Code of Conduct applies to all spaces managed by CommonAI and to everyone when they are participating in CommonAI or one of its Programmes.

This includes (but is not limited to) the following spaces and roles:

• meetings and asynchronous discussions of CommonAI governance bodies, including: the CommonAI Board of Directors, Programme Steering Committees, Programme Technical Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Groups;
• CommonAI and Programme-specific roles, including Programme Directors; Chairs of committees; and contributors, committers, maintainers, and reviewers;
• employees or other representatives of Members, when they are participating in Programmes as part of a Member’s contribution of full-time-equivalent resources;
• all written communication channels: email, Slack, GitHub, etc;
• all other communications channels including calls and face-to-face meetings; and
• events organised or hosted by CommonAI CIC, including conferences, workshops and socials.

The Code of Conduct applies to all communication and conduct in CommonAI spaces, including emails, chats, things you say, slides, videos, posters, signs, avatars, and emojis.

This Code of Conduct does not establish any employment or other supervisory relationship between CommonAI and the individuals concerned. However, complying with the Code of Conduct is acondition of participating in CommonAI spaces, and individuals with CommonAI and Programme roles commit to complying with the Code of Conduct as part of taking up those roles.

Under their CommonAI membership agreement, Members commit to complying with this Code of Conduct, and commit to ensuring that their representatives follow the Code of Conduct too. This includes employees, officers, contractors, subcontractors and advisers.

Ground Rules

These are the ground rules that everyone involved in CommonAI needs to follow:

Engaging with CommonAI and Programmes

• Governance and responsibilities. To protect everyone involved, CommonAI works within a detailed Governance Framework and individual Programmes also work to their Programme Charters and associated documents. Make sure that you understand your role(s) and responsibilities under these documents – if you are not sure, ask the CommonAI team who will be happy to assist.

• Policies and procedures. Everyone involved in CommonAI should comply with applicable CommonAI and Programme policies and procedures. These are in place to protect Members as well as CommonAI, and to ensure the Programmes fulfil their potential.

• Confidentiality. Information you receive as part of CommonAI and Programmes may be confidential to CommonAI and/or Members. In some cases, information is protected by cybersecurity, national security or export control requirements. Naturally, you must not breach confidentiality (or any similar and applicable) restrictions on disclosure.

• Avoid conflicts of interest. If you are carrying out a role on behalf of CommonAI or a Programme, and you have a personal or other interest in a matter being decided, you must declare that interest, and (by default) you should not participate in that decision. (There may be bespoke rules applicable to this situation – check with the relevant Chair or a member of the CommonAI team if you are not sure.)

• Safe and responsible use. You must at all times follow CommonAI’s purpose of creating safe and responsible technology. You must not incorporate, or approve the incorporation of, any code or other elements into CommonAI technology that you know or suspect is not safe or responsible.

Engaging with others

• Be friendly and patient. CommonAI is a dynamic and collaborative community, and it is important that new members are welcomed and supported to join in.

• Be welcoming and inclusive. We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to, members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, colour, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion or lack thereof, and mental and physical ability.

• Be considerate. Your work may be used by other people, and you in turn may depend on the work of others. Any decision you take may affect users and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account. Remember that we’re an international community, so you might not be communicating in someone else’s primary language. Many community members are here as part of their work, and so the content (words, images, videos) that you share should be appropriate for professional workplaces.

• Be respectful. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behaviour and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration occasionally, but it is unacceptable to allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the CommonAI community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as when engaging with people outside the CommonAI community about CommonAI’s work.

• Be careful in the words and images that you choose and be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants or other people more generally. Harassment and other exclusionary behaviour are unacceptable. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop – persisting in such behaviour after being asked to stop is considered harassment. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Violent threats or language directed against another person;

  • Discriminatory jokes and language;

  • Posting sexually explicit or violent material;

  • Posting (or threatening to post) other people’s personally identifying information (“doxing”);

  • Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms;

  • Unwelcome sexual attention; and/or

  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.

• When we disagree, try to understand why. Disagreements, both social and technical, happen all the time and CommonAI is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. A strength of CommonAI comes from its varied community, which includes people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues; being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.

Breaches of this Code of Conduct

If you believe someone is breaching, or has breached, this Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it to the CommonAI team by emailing conduct@commonai.org. The CommonAI team will investigate and may impose sanctions, including temporary or permanent bans from CommonAI spaces. Where appropriate, the CommonAI team may refer the report to an individual’s employing Member.

For more details about reporting and how reports are handled, please see the Reporting Guide.

Questions?

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the CommonAI Code of Conduct team by emailing conduct@commonai.org.

Policy Review and Amendment

This Code of Conduct will be reviewed annually by CommonAI to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

The CommonAI Board of Directors is responsible for approving any changes to this Code of Conduct.