This article covers common questions regarding AI in Arbor. For more information on Arbor AI, see our dedicated section of the Help Centre on this subject here. You can also find our Arbor AI Fair Usage Policy in this article.
What is Arbor AI?
Arbor AI is a collection of new, AI-powered features which we will be adding to Arbor on a rolling basis. Our goal is to seamlessly integrate AI throughout Arbor, using it to make your every day tasks even easier.
You will know when a feature is powered by AI because you will see the Arbor AI icon next to it.
How much do Arbor AI features cost?
Depending on the AI feature, the feature will either be free, included in an Arbor tier, or an additional paid feature.
We want to offer many of our AI features for free, as we believe that they are directly aligned with our mission of transforming how schools work for the better. Our usage policy for all Arbor AI features can be found here.
What can Arbor AI do?
Currently, Arbor will help users:
Draft communications to staff, students, and guardians
Provide an instant summary of a student's performance
Suggest a new Custom Report Writer formula by using plain English
We are also testing a wide range of other AI features in Arbor Labs which we will be releasing soon. To find out more about upcoming AI features in Arbor, see our dedicated page on this in the Arbor HQ!
How is student and staff data processed by Arbor AI?
It’s important to note that any student or staff data processed by Arbor AI is not stored or retained to train the Open AI model.
When you ask Arbor AI to perform a task, it uses an AI model to determine how to find the information you need. Arbor AI then checks what information you have permission to access, before going away and retrieving the information needed to complete its task.
We have ensured that Arbor AI complies fully with all data protection legislations, including:
UK Data Protection Compliance:
We adhere to all legislation relating to data protection, the processing of personal data, privacy and/or electronic communications in force in the UK including the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), the UK GDPR and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (or any replacement of the same), ensuring your data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
Data Protection Agreements
Arbor has carried out a review of Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with its suppliers who are sub-processors in respect of AI services.
Contractual Agreements
We've established strict contractual agreements with OpenAI to ensure they process data in compliance with UK data protection laws.
Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
We continuously monitor and update our AI practices to align with any changes in data protection regulations.
Is Arbor AI covered by Arbor's Terms of Use?
Yes, Arbor's AI tool forms part of our Services. Your data may be used as an input for our AI tool witin our Services ("Input") resulting in an output generated by the AI tool ("Output"). You can read more about it in Section 6 of Arbor's Terms of Use.
Where and how is data stored and processed during AI operations?
Arbor makes use of Open AI's models. Any data processed as part of Arbor's AI functionality is not stored or used by Open AI to train these AI models.
In accordance with our Terms and Conditions, Open AI is now an Arbor data sub-processor.
Open AI processes data in compliance with all relevant Data Protection Legislation. See the Open AI privacy statement for more information.
How do I control access to Arbor AI?
Please visit our dedicated Help Centre section here on how to manage your school's Arbor AI access.
Who has access to Arbor AI?
From 19th December, Arbor AI is enabled for all school users by default. Users with the 'Head Teacher' business role can manage access to Arbor AI (See the Can Arbor's AI functionality be turned off? section at the bottom of this article for information on how to do this).
Currently, Arbor AI is not available for use on MAT sites.
Does Arbor record my AI usage?
All Arbor AI requests are logged by Arbor. The logs include:
- The user making the request
- Details of the request, including prompts
- The response given by Arbor AI
- The "tools" invoked by the Ask Arbor chatbot
- Any follow-up requests
We use these logs to help our AI team make further improvements to Arbor AI, and use them to diagnose any problems.
Can Arbor AI make decisions autonomously?
No, a user must always initiate any interactions with Arbor's AI functionality.
Arbor AI cannot take action on your behalf. All AI-generated content and/or actions must always be confirmed by a user.
For example, when creating an Arbor AI 'Student Report':
- The user must click on 'Student Report' to initiate the report generation
- After the content is generated, the user is shown a preview of the report. The report will not be shared with anyone unless the user decides to do so.
Why is US English often used in AI responses?
We use Open AI's models to generate responses. These models have been trained primarily in English content from the United States. This means that the responses tend to follow a US English writing style, even when "British English" is specified.
We will continue to monitor developments in LLM (Large Language Model) responses. Should it be possible to specify British English as a default language, we will adopt that.
Do I have to use Arbor's AI functionality?
No, but having Arbor AI turned on should help you work smarter and more efficiently. It is free, so we hope that you give it a go! Access is fully controllable by the school, and our Help Centre documentation here provides guidance on how to do this.
Can / will Arbor AI access all categories of personal data on Arbor or is this limited to certain data fields?
Data access rights are unchanged from the user’s existing permissions. No data will be processed unless there is clear right of access.
Is there a significant benefit to using Arbor AI, as opposed to conducting tasks using Arbor's regular features?
The AI features are simply making common tasks easier and more efficient for users, there is nothing being processed or produced by AI that cannot be done using previously existing manual processes.
Is there access to all categories of personal data?
Data access rights are unchanged from the user’s existing permissions, so no data will be processed unless there is clear right of access. No special category data is systematically involved, although as with any other report or email, of course, the user has the capability to include any information they may have access to.
How does data flow through Arbor AI?
No data is accessed directly by OpenAI. The OpenAI hosted LLM (Large Language Model) has knowledge of a set of Arbor MIS tools, through which it can request data. These tools are hosted on the Arbor MIS tenant and include an Attendance Tool, Behavioural Tool, Demographics Tool, and Student Information Tool. Based on the query being made by the user, the LLM will request the data it requires via the appropriate MIS Tool(s). The tools can only provide data that the MIS user already has access to. The LLM will then look at the provided data and return a formatted result to the user.
To reiterate, the tools can only provide data that the MIS user already has access to.
No data is used by OpenAI to train, adapt or develop their AI capability.
Can you provide me with an example information flow?
In the example below, I've asked the Ask Arbor Assistant (the agent) for a student's (Abby Adams) phone number.
Note: In the example, “LLM” refers to a Large Language AI Model.
When the user asks the question, the following steps are taken:
-
User Request:
A user (e.g., a teacher or Head Teacher) submits a query via the Ask Arbor Assistant. For example, they might request a report on pupil progress for a specific class or year group. -
AI Identifies the Required Data:
The AI determines which Arbor MIS tools it needs to use to retrieve the requested data. These tools are hosted within the UK and include systems like:- Attendance Tool
- Behavioural Tool
- Demographics Tool
- Student Information Tool
- School Data Report Creator (for generating reports)
-
Querying the Arbor MIS Tools:
- AI makes structured calls to the appropriate tools.
- Only data that the user has permission to access is retrieved.
- The LLM does not directly access raw databases; it interacts with Arbor’s standard API and tools.
-
Compiling the Data:
- The LLM retrieves and formats the requested information into a readable response for the user, based on the user’s query.
- For example: when generating reports, the School Data Report Creator is used to structure the results.
- The LLM does not retain any data itself.
-
Delivering the Response:
- The LLM presents the data in a user-friendly format with clear headings, structured tables, or bullet points.
- The user is given options to refine their request, such as adding more details or generating a PDF.
-
Data Security & Compliance:
- OpenAI does not store or learn from the data.
- The LLM operates on UK-hosted Arbor systems, ensuring GDPR compliance.
- Although the processing by the LLM occurs on OpenAI servers hosted in the USA, no data is retained or used for model training.
- Arbor has a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with OpenAI to ensure all appropriate data security measures are in place.
This approach ensures a secure, controlled, and efficient way for users to access school data without compromising student privacy or compliance.
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