Artificial intelligence

Hcéres regulates the use of artificial intelligence in its evaluation work through a charter intended for its experts. This charter permits the use of AI to assist with certain tasks whilst safeguarding the independence of the expert assessment, the confidentiality of information and human accountability. Under no circumstances may AI replace evaluative judgement.

The Hcéres charter sets out the permitted uses and limitations of artificial intelligence (AI) in the work of its experts.

Permitted uses

In particular, AI may assist experts in:

  • correcting, rephrasing or translating a text that has already been drafted, without altering its meaning or adding arguments;
  • search for public information, whilst verifying sources;
  • organise their personal work and draft practical emails, without evaluative content, which are proofread before sending;
  • extract, classify and describe verified facts from sources, without making any evaluative judgements;
  • obtain technical assistance with scripts, macros or queries, and then verify and test them.

Clear boundaries

The framework established at Hcéres is based on two fundamental principles:

  • AI must not carry out evaluations. It does not replace the personal reading of self-evaluation documents, nor the analysis or judgement of experts. It cannot produce a first draft of an opinion, contribution, report or evaluative summary, nor can it add arguments to an assessment. A subsequent review does not replace the independent development of analysis and judgement. These restrictions apply regardless of the tool used, including the Hcéres AI tool. Peer discussion and the collegial nature of the evaluation must be preserved.
  • AI must not disclose information. The confidentiality of information entrusted to Hcéres must be preserved. Non-public information may only be processed using Hcéres’ AI tool. Other tools may be used for public data, subject to compliance with re-use rights, any applicable licences and access conditions.

Experts remain responsible for the content they produce. They must verify the results and their sources, remain vigilant for errors and biases, and respect the re-use rights of the content.

Hcéres’s in-house AI should be prioritised wherever possible. Regardless of the tool used, the use of AI must be mentioned in documents intended for publication and its role specified in Hcéres’s publications.

In line with its commitment to environmental sustainability, Hcéres encourages experts to prioritise the simplest tools available to achieve the desired objective.

The charter and guidelines for experts

The charter sets out which uses are permitted, subject to conditions, or prohibited. It also includes answers to frequently asked questions, illustrated with real-life examples. Supplementary guidelines set out the principles of responsible AI use, whilst respecting independence, scientific integrity, confidentiality and collegiality in the evaluation process.

A charter for Hcéres staff and scientific advisers

As part of this initiative, a supplementary charter has been drawn up to provide a framework for the use of AI by Hcéres’ permanent staff and scientific advisers. Tailored to their roles, it will soon be available on this page.