Code of Conduct

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Applies to all AI Fellowship platforms, events, and activities globally

Preamble#

The AI Fellowship is a community built on the conviction that AI should work for every human - and that principle starts here, in how we treat each other. This Code of Conduct exists not because we expect bad behaviour, but because creating a genuinely safe, inclusive, and intellectually rigorous community requires more than good intentions. It requires explicit commitments, shared standards, and fair, consistent mechanisms for upholding them.

This Code protects everyone: the first-time attendee who worked up the courage to come to their first meetup, the researcher sharing half-finished ideas, the student asking a question they fear is “too basic,” and the veteran practitioner who needs to know that the Fellowship is a space where expertise is shared generously. It protects people from harassment, exclusion, and bad-faith behaviour - and it protects the community itself from the erosion that occurs when problematic conduct goes unnamed and unaddressed.

This document was written to be read, not archived. If you are a Chapter Director, read it before your first event. If you are a member, read it before your first interaction. If something happens that this document doesn’t cover, use its spirit to guide your judgment.

Scope#

This Code of Conduct applies to:

• All official AI Fellowship platforms, including Discord servers, WhatsApp groups, Discourse forums, and any future community platforms.
• All AI Fellowship events, including chapter meetups, hackathons, workshops, the AI World Cup, and associated social events before, during, and after official programming.
• All public-facing conduct where a person identifies themselves as an AI Fellowship member or representative, including social media posts, blog posts, conference presentations, and media interviews.
• All direct communications between community members facilitated through Fellowship channels or relationships.
• Chapter Directors, Global Council members, Advisory Board members, volunteers, speakers, sponsors, and judges - not just general members.

The standard does not change based on seniority, role, or level of contribution to the community.

Expected Behaviours#

1. Intellectual Generosity#

Share what you know freely and without gatekeeping. When you have expertise that could help someone else, offer it without making them feel small for not already having it. Ask questions openly. Acknowledge uncertainty honestly. Credit others’ ideas, tools, and work when you build on them. The Fellowship’s culture of “half-baked ideas welcome” only functions when people trust that sharing prematurely will be met with support, not ridicule.

2. Inclusive Participation#

Actively make room for voices other than your own. In meetings and events, be mindful of how much space you occupy - not in a way that silences you, but in a way that invites others in. If you notice someone trying to contribute but being talked over, help them into the conversation. This is especially important in cross-cultural, multilingual settings where confidence and fluency are not the same thing.

3. Respectful Disagreement#

Disagreement is healthy and welcome. The Fellowship is a community of people with strong, informed opinions about fast-moving and contested topics. Disagree with ideas, not with people. Critique work constructively and specifically. When someone’s approach differs from yours, start from the assumption that they have reasons worth understanding before you challenge them. “I see this differently because…” is always a better opening than “you’re wrong.”

4. Honest Attribution and Transparency#

Be transparent about your work, your tools, and your sources. This includes being explicit about when AI tools contributed substantially to something you share. Do not claim original authorship of work that was generated, heavily edited, or substantially completed by an AI system without disclosure. In competition contexts, follow the specific AI use rules set by the event organiser.

5. Privacy and Data Respect#

Do not share private information about others - including photos, messages, location, employment, or personal circumstances - without their explicit consent. Be especially careful in cross-border contexts where what is considered private or public varies. When in doubt, ask before sharing.

6. Constructive Conflict Resolution#

If you have a problem with a fellow member, try to resolve it directly and respectfully first. If you cannot, use the reporting procedure in this document. Do not litigate interpersonal disputes publicly in community channels - this harms everyone in the space, not just the parties involved.

7. Upholding the Community Standard#

Every member is a stakeholder in the Fellowship’s culture. If you see something that doesn’t align with this Code of Conduct, say something - to the person involved if it is safe to do so, or to a Chapter Director or the reporting channel if it is not. Silence in the face of problematic behaviour is not neutrality; it signals to the person being harmed that no one cares.

Unacceptable Behaviours#

The following behaviours will not be tolerated in any Fellowship context, regardless of who does them or how they are framed:

• Harassment of any kind - including unwanted physical contact, sexual advances, comments targeting someone’s gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, or immigration status. This includes sustained one-on-one messaging after someone has signalled they do not wish to continue the conversation.
• Intimidation and threats - explicit or implicit threats of harm, career retaliation, or social exclusion intended to silence, coerce, or punish someone for participating in the community.
• Discrimination in participation - denying someone access to a Fellowship event, opportunity, or resource based on their identity, background, experience level, country of origin, language fluency, or any other protected characteristic.
• Doxing - publishing or threatening to publish private personal information about someone without their consent, including but not limited to home addresses, phone numbers, immigration status, medical information, financial details, or workplace details.
• Deliberate misrepresentation - knowingly providing false information about yourself, your work, your organisation, or the Fellowship in ways that harm others or damage the community’s reputation.
• Predatory or exploitative behaviour - using the Fellowship’s network and access to its members for extractive commercial purposes that benefit only the actor, including unsolicited sales pitches, pyramid scheme recruitment, and misuse of member contact information gathered through Fellowship events.
• Harmful content - sharing, posting, or linking to content that is pornographic, gratuitously violent, designed to incite hatred, or intended to harm a specific individual or group.
• Sponsorship and commercial boundary violations - promoting, endorsing, or entering into commercial arrangements on behalf of the Fellowship without explicit authorisation from the Foundation, as detailed in the Brand & IP Policy.

AI-Specific Conduct Standards#

The AI Fellowship exists at the intersection of technology and human community. This creates obligations that most community codes of conduct don’t address. The following standards apply specifically to AI-related conduct:

• Misrepresentation of AI-generated work: In all Fellowship contexts - particularly competitions, presentations, and published writing - members must disclose substantive use of AI generation tools. “Substantive” means that the AI produced content that you are presenting as reflective of your own thinking, creativity, or technical capability, and where a reasonable reader would be misled about the origin of that work. Using AI for editing, research assistance, or ideation support does not require disclosure, but producing AI-generated outputs and presenting them as wholly human-created does.
• AI use in competitions: Each AI Fellowship competition, including the AI World Cup, will publish explicit rules about permitted and prohibited AI tool use for that event. Members must adhere to those rules precisely. Circumventing, exploiting ambiguity in, or misrepresenting compliance with competition AI rules is treated as a serious conduct violation equivalent to academic dishonesty.
• Data and privacy in AI projects: Members building AI projects within Fellowship contexts must not use data collected from Fellowship members (survey responses, forum posts, event registrations, contact information) to train or fine-tune AI models without explicit, informed consent from those members. Members must not share or publish datasets containing personally identifiable information about other Fellows without consent.
• Algorithmic harm: Members presenting AI systems within the Fellowship - particularly in hackathon or showcase contexts - are expected to engage honestly with the potential harms and failure modes of those systems. Presenters who are asked about bias, fairness, or unintended consequences should engage with those questions in good faith rather than dismissing them.
• AI impersonation: Do not use AI tools to impersonate other Fellowship members, create fake member profiles, generate fabricated testimonials or endorsements, or otherwise deceive the community through synthetic media.
• Responsible AI advocacy: The Fellowship advocates for responsible AI broadly. Members who publicly represent the Fellowship should not endorse, advocate for, or commercially benefit from AI systems that they have reason to believe cause significant harm to people - particularly in contexts where that advocacy could be attributed to the Fellowship.

Safeguarding: Minors and Vulnerable Participants#

The AI Fellowship welcomes participants of all ages, including students under 18. The following provisions apply wherever minors may be present:

• Events that explicitly include or are likely to attract minors must be flagged in advance to the Foundation so that appropriate safeguarding protocols can be confirmed.
• Adult members should not engage in one-on-one private communications with minors through Fellowship channels without a parent or guardian’s knowledge and consent.
• Photography and video of minors at Fellowship events requires explicit written consent from a parent or legal guardian. Chapter Directors are responsible for collecting and storing this consent.
• Any allegation of inappropriate conduct involving a minor will be escalated immediately to the Foundation and, where required by local law, to relevant authorities. This overrides all other internal procedures.
• Chapter Directors who become aware of safeguarding concerns involving a minor have a mandatory obligation to report - not merely the option to do so.

Reporting Procedure#

We are committed to taking every report seriously and handling it with care, consistency, and confidentiality.

How to Report#

1. Option 1 - Direct report to a Chapter Director If the concern involves a fellow member (not a Chapter Director or leader), you may speak directly with your local Chapter Director. They are trained to receive reports, document them, and escalate appropriately.
2. Option 2 - Email to the Foundation Send a report to: [email protected] This inbox is monitored by the Global Council’s designated Conduct Lead (not by the Chapter Director of the relevant chapter). Reports submitted here are confidential and will not be shared with the subject of the report unless an investigation requires it.
3. Option 3 - Anonymous reporting An anonymous reporting form is available at: theaifellowship.com/report Anonymous reports can be investigated but may limit the actions available to the Foundation if the reported person disputes the facts and cannot be confronted with evidence. We still encourage anonymous reporting - even reports that cannot be fully investigated give us important information about patterns of behaviour.

What to Include (if you are comfortable doing so)#

• What happened
• When and where it happened (event, platform, date/time)
• Who was involved (names or descriptions)
• Whether there were witnesses
• Whether you have any evidence (screenshots, messages)
• What outcome you are hoping for

What Happens After You Report#

1. Acknowledgement - The Conduct Lead will acknowledge receipt of your report within 48 hours.
2. Initial assessment - Within 5 business days, the Conduct Lead will determine whether the report falls under this Code of Conduct and what category of response is appropriate.
3. Investigation - Where needed, the Conduct Lead will gather additional information. They may speak with you, with the reported party, and with witnesses. Both parties will have the opportunity to share their perspective before any decision is made.
4. Decision and communication - A decision will be communicated to the reporting party and (where appropriate) to the reported party within 30 days of the initial report.
5. Confidentiality - The fact that a report was made, the content of the investigation, and the outcome will not be shared beyond those directly involved, except where disclosure is required by law or is necessary to protect the safety of others.

Enforcement Ladder#

Responses are calibrated to the nature and severity of the conduct. The following steps are a guide, not a rigid formula - the Foundation reserves the right to skip steps when the severity of conduct warrants it.

Step 1: Private Warning#

When used: First instance of minor conduct violations - a comment that crossed a line, an honest misunderstanding, a lapse in judgment that caused limited harm.

What it involves: A private, written communication from the Conduct Lead or Chapter Director that names the behaviour, explains why it violates the Code, and sets clear expectations for future conduct. No public record is made, but the warning is logged internally.

Step 2: Formal Warning with Conditions#

When used: Repeat instances of minor violations, a single instance of moderate violation, or failure to comply with a previous warning.

What it involves: A formal written warning that may include specific conditions (e.g., not attending certain events, a period of supervised participation, a required conversation with a Chapter Director). The member’s continued participation depends on meeting these conditions. The warning is logged on the member’s internal record.

Step 3: Temporary Suspension#

When used: A serious single violation, a pattern of behaviour despite warnings, or conduct that caused real harm to a specific person or to the community.

What it involves: The member is suspended from all Fellowship platforms and events for a specified period (typically 30-90 days). The suspension is communicated to relevant Chapter Directors so it can be enforced consistently. The member may be reinstated at the end of the suspension period if they acknowledge the conduct and commit to the Code. A reinstatement conversation with the Conduct Lead is required.

Step 4: Permanent Removal#

When used: Severe single violations (including but not limited to: sexual harassment, assault, credible threats of violence, doxing, or safeguarding failures involving minors), persistent violations despite previous enforcement steps, or conduct so fundamentally incompatible with the Fellowship’s values that no path to rehabilitation is evident.

What it involves: The member is permanently removed from all Fellowship platforms, events, and activities. Their membership is revoked. Chapter Directors across the Fellowship are notified as needed to enforce the removal. The person may not re-apply for membership.

Immediate Temporary Removal#

In any case where a person poses an immediate safety risk, a Chapter Director or Global Council member may remove that person from an event or platform immediately, pending investigation. This is a precautionary measure, not a finding of guilt, and the full procedure will follow.

Appeals Process#

Any member who receives a formal warning, suspension, or removal may appeal the decision. The appeal process is:

1. Submit a written appeal to [email protected] within 14 days of receiving the enforcement decision.
2. The appeal must state: the grounds for appeal (e.g., procedural error, new evidence, disproportionate sanction), and any relevant supporting information.
3. The appeal will be reviewed by a panel of two Global Council members who were not involved in the original decision. If no two eligible Council members are available, an Advisory Board member may serve.
4. The panel will issue a decision within 21 days. Their decision is final.
5. During the appeal period, the original enforcement decision remains in effect unless the panel determines that an immediate stay is warranted.

Revision Process#

This Code of Conduct will be reviewed annually by the Global Council. Proposed revisions may be submitted by any member via the Proposals Process (Document 7). Substantive changes require a supermajority vote of the Global Council (two-thirds of members voting). Changes that affect the core protected categories, enforcement procedure, or the scope of the Code are classified as “identity matters” and cannot be amended by chapter-level vote. An updated version will be published with a clear version number and change log.