It’s been a busy first year for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group of IOA’s Research & Assessment Committee- and we are excited to announce plans for 2025, to engage further with the IOA community.

During 2024, AI Working Group members have included: Julie Muroff (Chair), Brian Green, Dennis G. Jones, Steen Erik Larsen, Lisa PytlikZillig, and Mary Rowe. The initial charge to the group by IOA’s Board of Directors was: “to take the lead on helping members understand how they can effectively use artificial intelligence (AI), including considerations/pitfalls to pay attention to when using AI.” We translated that charge as starting the dialogue and process of collecting information about the IOA community’s interests, concerns, and needs in this dynamic area. More specifically, we explored the potential for AI to complement or supplement ombuds work in ways that (i.) support, not supplant, the role of human organizational ombuds; and that (ii.) mitigate risks to compliance with IOA’s Standards of Practice and Ethics. Notably, our members were not expected to be subject matter experts, or to take positions, or even to make recommendations at this early stage. Indeed, because AI is such a complex and rapidly evolving topic that can impact laws, policies, rules, and practices specific to the particular practice setting of each ombuds, our group has emphasized the need for each ombuds to consult with the relevant contacts in their own organization, and to consider IOA’s Standards of Practice and Ethics, to chart a path that is right for each ombuds, individually.

The initial charge to the group by IOA’s Board of Directors was: “to take the lead on helping members understand how they can effectively use artificial intelligence (AI), including considerations/pitfalls to pay attention to when using AI.”

Consistent with IOA’s charge above, some examples of our 2024 accomplishments include:

• Developing and circulating a briefing document (accessible on our CommUnity page, referenced below);
• Leading several Discussion sessions and Snack sessions at IOA’s Annual Conference in 2024;
• Facilitating some data collection and analysis from the Undebate session on AI at that conference;
• Hosting Community Connections sessions;
• Launching IOA’s new CommUnity online-discussion forum on AI (https://ioacommunity.smallworldlabs.com/groups/home/81); and
• Presenting a webinar on January 9, 2025, which was recorded for future viewing through IOA’s Learning Portal. That webinar elaborates on our group’s work, and it discusses our data collection and analysis from IOA’s 2024 Conference.

Informed by that work and input, our Working Group’s plans for 2025 include the following:

• We will lead another session at the IOA Annual Conference in April 2025, Updates from IOA’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group.
• Following that session and informed by its feedback, the Working Group will discontinue its services and transition the topic of AI to a forum that can engage and serve more IOA community members:
• One option is to hold a periodic Zoom discussion on AI that can be more accessible to, and more representative of, all IOA members- without the requirement of membership in any particular Committee or Working Group. 
• With that broader engagement, IOA members can further explore the diverse needs and interests of our global community in real time, and can identify and prioritize any further actions and deliverables.
• A pilot for that approach will be the Community Connections on October 28^th and 29^th 2025, on the topic of AI. Our (former) Working Group members will facilitate the discussion on both dates.

Thank you for your interest in AI, and for your support of our Working Group! We look forward to discussing all of this further during our session at IOA’s 2025 Annual Conference. For any questions or comments in the meantime, please contact Julie Muroff at [email protected].