Updated June 2026
Purpose
These guidelines are intended to establish requirements regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated artwork in materials developed, distributed or published on behalf of the college.
Marketing and Communications recognizes that departments may seek to independently experiment with AI tools; however, the college must ensure that any images used in office materials comply with legal, licensing, accessibility and brand standards.
General Guidelines
Official college marketing materials can only come from Marketing and Communications. Likewise, Marketing and Communications does not generally recommend the use of AI-generated artwork in official college marketing materials. In many cases, AI-generated images present unresolved legal, licensing, ethical and quality concerns that may expose the college to risk.
Whenever possible, departments are encouraged to use:
- Original photography approved by Marketing and Communications
- College-owned artwork and graphics
- Licensed stock photography and illustrations
- Artwork created by college designers or approved vendors
Requirements for Submission of AI-Generated Artwork
If a department submits AI-generated artwork for use in a marketing or communications project, the department must be able to provide:
- The name of the AI platform or tool used to generate the image
- Documentation or confirmation of the platform’s licensing and usage rights
- Confirmation that commercial and marketing use is permitted under the platform’s terms of service or end-user license agreement (EULA) and has been pre-approved by the College.
- Confirmation the image does not intentionally or unintentionally incorporate copyrighted materials, logos, trademarks, recognizable characters, protected symbols or other intellectual property belonging to third parties
If clear attribution, licensing rights or usage permissions cannot be verified, the image should not be used in official college materials.
Legal and Licensing Considerations
AI-generated artwork may be subject to licensing restrictions established by the platform used to create it. Many AI tools operate under click-through or end-user license agreements that define how generated content may or may not be used. Some platforms restrict commercial, promotional or institutional uses unless a specific subscription level or contractual agreement is in place.
Use of AI-generated artwork in violation of a platform’s licensing agreement could create legal exposure for the college. Click-through agreements and EULA’s are contracts and must be reviewed and executed under GRCC’s Contracting Authority Policy prior to being executed on behalf of the College.
Additionally, AI-generated content may unintentionally reproduce or imitate copyrighted works, trademarks, logos or other protected intellectual property. Because AI systems are trained on large datasets, there may be circumstances where generated outputs resemble or incorporate protected materials without the user’s knowledge.
Review Process
All submitted artwork, including AI-generated imagery, remains subject to review and approval by Marketing and Communications before inclusion in official college materials.