How Kalamuna Approaches AI

Kalamuna integrates artificial intelligence into our work because it makes us better at what we do: faster research synthesis, broader data analysis, more consistent code quality, and more. But AI is a tool, not a replacement for the expertise, judgment, and relationships that define our practice. Our people remain at the center of every engagement.

This statement describes our commitments to responsible AI use. It is supported by detailed internal policies covering AI software usage and AI development and deployment, which contain the enforceable operational rules our team follows. We publish this statement because our clients, collaborators, and communities deserve to know how we approach these technologies and how they touch our work.

Our Commitments

Kalamuna’s AI practices are guided by commitments to four stakeholder groups. These commitments are operationalized through our internal governance policies and inform every decision we make about AI adoption, usage, and governance.

For Our Clients

Transparency and trust are foundational. We are open about the role AI plays in our work, and we put safeguards in place to protect the things our clients entrust to us.

We obtain client consent before using AI tools on project work that involves client data, and we process client data only through enterprise-grade AI platforms with contractual guarantees that data is not used to train models. All AI-assisted deliverables are reviewed by qualified professionals before delivery. Our quality standards apply equally whether a deliverable was created with or without AI assistance.

For Our Team

AI should make work better, not replace the people doing it. We invest in tools that amplify our team’s strengths and reduce the burden of repetitive tasks, while supporting ongoing professional growth.

Every team member who uses AI tools completes governance and responsible use training, and we maintain ongoing education programs so that our team stays informed as capabilities evolve. We are committed to using AI tools to elevate the quality and impact of our team’s work, not to diminish the value of human expertise.

For Society

The work we do with government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofits carries with it a responsibility to the communities they serve.

We assess AI outputs for potential biases and take steps to mitigate bias when it is identified. Accessibility is non-negotiable: AI-generated content and interfaces in our deliverables meet WCAG standards consistent with our longstanding commitment to inclusive design. In high-stakes domains (legal, healthcare, and public-facing systems), we require mandatory human oversight before any AI-assisted output reaches the people it affects.

For the Environment

The environmental cost of AI is real and often overlooked. We take it seriously.

We factor energy efficiency and environmental impact into our AI tool and model selection decisions as part of our Environmentally Preferable (green) Purchasing Policy. We evaluate vendors in part on their sustainability practices and commitments. And we apply the principle that the right model for the job is often the smallest one that performs well, not the largest one available.

How We Govern AI

Our approach to AI governance draws on established frameworks developed by governments, standards bodies, and research institutions, including the FASTER Principles (Government of Canada Treasury Board Secretariat), the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, the EU AI Act, and ISO/IEC AI Governance Standards.

We do not claim blanket compliance with all of these frameworks, but we apply their principles in ways that are appropriate to our work and our clients’ needs. Where a specific client engagement requires adherence to a particular framework (for example, EU AI Act compliance for a European deployment), we address those requirements at the project level.

Our governance practices are overseen by a cross-departmental AI Steering Committee with representation from technology, design, account and project management, marketing, operations, and leadership. This committee oversees AI policy, tool adoption, risk management, and compliance. Our policies are actively enforced with clear accountability structures, reporting channels, and escalation procedures.

We maintain a curated and regularly reviewed list of approved AI tools, evaluated against security, privacy, data retention, and ethical criteria. We apply risk-proportionate human oversight: the level of review scales with the sensitivity and potential impact of the work. And we maintain audit practices so that AI contributions to deliverables are traceable if questions arise.

Detailed operational rules, including our data governance standards, risk tiering framework, tool approval process, and enforcement procedures, are defined in our internal AI Software Usage Policy. 

Data Protection

Protecting client data is a priority. AI tools used on client projects provide contractual guarantees that data is not used for model training and meet our security and privacy standards. We maintain compliance with applicable privacy regulations across the jurisdictions where we and our clients operate. Before any AI tool is approved for use at Kalamuna, it is evaluated against our data governance standards, including privacy policies, data retention practices, and security certifications.

Intellectual Property

Client deliverables belong to clients per contractual terms, regardless of whether AI tools assisted in their creation. Our contracts govern the rights Kalamuna transfers or licenses to our clients.

Contracts, however, cannot create rights the law does not recognize. Copyright in both the United States and Canada requires human authorship, and the copyrightability of AI-assisted work depends on the nature and extent of human creative contribution, not on the use of AI tools as such.  Where copyright status is material to a project, we raise it with clients early.

Kalamuna retains its methods: reusable methodologies, frameworks, prompt libraries, and internal tools developed in the course of our work remain Kalamuna’s intellectual property, distinct from client-specific deliverables.

We monitor the evolving legal and regulatory guidance on AI-generated content and intellectual property, and we update our practices as the landscape clarifies. Specific IP terms governing client deliverables are established in our client agreements.

Continuous Improvement

This statement is reviewed at minimum annually by our AI Steering Committee, and updated when material changes occur in our internal policies, AI technology, regulation, or our practices.

We welcome questions and feedback. Inquiries about our AI practices may be sent through our contact form.

Last updated: April 24, 2026