HMS Stewards: Our Policy on Ethical AI Usage

Tracing the Vital Cycles with 21st Century Tools

At Headwaters & Marine Stewards (HMS), our mission is to provide high-resolution, lab-grade data on the critical arteries feeding the Great Bay Estuary. To achieve this “Lean Science” goal, we utilize the most efficient and advanced tools available, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning models. We use these technologies to assist with complex geographical mapping, the visualization of vast data sets, and administrative efficiency. Our commitment to using these tools is grounded in our simultaneous obligation to maximize the environmental impact of every dollar we receive, while ensuring our baseline mapping is scientifically defensible, transparent, and legally compliant.

Transparency in Vision and Visualization

Visitors to our website and recipients of our Field Reports will encounter numerous visual assets designed to make complex watershed science intuitive and accessible. To maintain transparency, HMS Stewards discloses that many of the conceptual illustrations, artistic data visualizations, and environmental archetypes presented are created through a collaborative process where specialized generative AI tools act as the illustrator, operating under the direct curation, verification, and editorial control of HMS staff. For example, our custom high-resolution tributary maps were generated using advanced geographic logic models but were subsequently curated to ensure they match the authentic geometry of the Seacoast and include essential local context, such as town names and state boundaries. We leverage these tools to rapidly synthesize data into “Source-to-Sea” stories without incurring the high traditional overhead of custom cartography, directing that capital instead to our water monitoring hardware.

The Human-in-the-Loop Principle

While AI provides remarkable efficiency, HMS Stewards operates on a strictly defined “Human-in-the-Loop” principle. AI tools are never used as a substitute for human scientific judgment or professional accountability. All technical data captured by our Mobile Sensing Unit (MSU), all decisions regarding water quality reporting, and all governance choices made by the HMS Board are subject to rigorous human review and verification. Furthermore, to align with New Hampshire and Federal data quality standards, HMS Stewards guarantees that all personal donor information collected via our website forms is managed according to our Privacy Policy, and is never uploaded or used to train third-party AI models without explicit consent. AI is our collaborator in mapping the watershed, but the final scientific truth is curated by the HMS team.

---