AI in BYU Communications

Updated October 15, 2026

At Brigham Young University, we communicate to assist children of God “in their quest for perfection and eternal life” (BYU Mission). Our work must meet the highest standards of integrity, excellence, accuracy, authenticity, and creativity.

This document describes AI use cases for BYU communicators and offers practical guidelines. The guidelines are based on the following documents:

• Principles for Church Use of Artificial Intelligence
• Church Educational System AI Governing Principles
• The Aims and AI: Guiding Principles for BYU

Other helpful resources include Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s 2026 university conference talk, “Becoming BYU in an Age of Artificial Intelligence,” as well as his AI workshop, “Faith, Dignity, and Human Flourishing: Hearing God’s Voice in an Age of Artificial Intelligence.”

This document will be reviewed and updated regularly. (BYU employees and students can download a printable version of these guidelines.)

These guidelines apply to all BYU communicators—employees, students, or alumni volunteers, whether communicating with internal or external audiences and in any medium. A “BYU communicator” is any individual whose work results in content—text, image, audio, or video—that represents BYU and is published or distributed through university-owned or university-affiliated channels, including but not limited to BYU-affiliated social media accounts, websites, email newsletters, magazines, other printed publications, podcasts, video channels, or marketing campaigns for university-sponsored events or objectives.

• Most text in BYU communications should be generated by humans. Human authors should create the first draft and write final published text.
• ALLOWED: AI can be a helpful tool in various parts of the writing process, including brainstorming, researching, summarizing, transcribing notes, providing feedback, correcting grammar, and assisting with fact-checking. Such work does not need to be disclosed. Avoid having AI generate portions of the text in the revision process.
• BYU communicators are responsible for the accuracy of the final text and should carefully check all facts, quotes, and sources.
• ALLOWED: Functional text elements can be generated by AI, including closed captions, metadata, and alt text. They should be reviewed by a human for accuracy.
• DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: Supportive text elements intended as reader aids—such as a text summary of a longer article—may be generated by AI if they are clearly attributed and if they are carefully reviewed by a human for accuracy.

• DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: If AI-generated voices are used in video, podcasts, or other media, the audio or video must clearly provide attribution either at the beginning or the end with a statement such as “This audio was generated using artificial intelligence.”
• APPROVAL AND DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: AI voice cloning may be used only with living individuals and only with their approval and with the approval of the BYU Strategic Communications Committee. If approved, it must be clearly and audibly acknowledged in the podcast, video, or other media.
• PROHIBITED: BYU prohibits the AI voice cloning of current or former general authorities or general officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The guidelines for AI-generated images in the table below are based on “Standards for Using AI-Generated Images in Church Materials.”

* Illustrative images created by AI must respect the intellectual property of others and must not imitate the style of an identifiable artist.

• PROHIBITED: AI-generative tools may not be used to create, insert, or remove general or specific people, animals, mascots, logos, buildings, or significant objects in a human-made image.
• ALLOWED: A human-made image may be edited with AI tools in non-substantial ways (such as for color, resolution, or exposure adjustments).
• ALLOWED: In accordance with the BYU Photography Use Policy, minor temporary conditions (such as facial blemishes) may be edited with AI tools in portrait photography.
• DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: A human-made image edited with AI-generative tools in substantial ways (such as neutral background expansions, generative fill, or minor object removal) should be clearly labeled as an AI-enhanced image in both the metadata caption and the credit line. See possible wording in the examples below.
  
  • Disclosure examples: “Photo by Jaren Wilkey (AI enhanced)”; “Photo by Jaren Wilkey (altered by AI)”; or “Video imagery edited by AI”

See Examples of AI Content Guidelines

The use of AI-generated images and AI voice cloning by BYU communicators must be approved by the BYU Strategic Communications Committee. To seek approval, send an email to aidesign@byu.edu describing

• the communication piece;
• the communication objective;
• the audience; and
• how AI would be used.

The email must include at least a preliminary version of the AI-generated content and enough context that the committee can understand how the AI content will be used.

Please request approval early in the process to avoid urgent requests and last-minute changes. Allow at least one week for review.