CPC Position Statement on Artificial Intelligence

AI should support and enhance human relationships, professional expertise, and meaningful service. Career development is fundamentally a human-centred profession built on trust, empathy, respect, professional judgment, and meaningful human connection. While AI can improve access to information and enhance efficiency, it cannot replace the human insight, context, and relationships that remain central to effective career development practice.

In Practice: Consider whether the use of AI adds meaningful value and whether a human-centred approach may be more appropriate in a given situation. Use AI selectively to support research, content development, planning, administration, or service delivery while ensuring that people remain at the centre of decisions, relationships, and outcomes.

Use Caution: when relying solely on automated systems in situations that require human judgment, relationship-building, empathy, or individualized support.

Career professionals remain responsible for their decisions, recommendations, communications, and actions, regardless of whether AI is used. AI tools can assist with research, analysis, drafting, and problem-solving, but responsibility for the final outcome remains with the individual using the technology. The use of AI does not reduce professional obligations related to accuracy, quality, ethics, or competence.

In Practice: Apply the same professional standards to AI-assisted work that you would apply to any other work or service you provide. Review, verify, edit, and take responsibility for AI-assisted content, recommendations, decisions, communications, and work products before using or sharing them.

Use Caution: when using AI-generated outputs without appropriate review or assuming that responsibility for errors rests with the technology rather than the individual using it.

AI can assist decision-making, but it cannot replace professional judgment. Career professionals should evaluate AI-generated information critically and consider context, evidence, experience, and professional standards before acting on it. Effective practice requires contextual understanding, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and the ability to interpret information within the unique circumstances of each situation.

In Practice: Use AI as a source of input, not as a substitute for decision-making. Draw on professional knowledge, experience, multiple sources of information, and the unique circumstances of the situation before acting on AI-generated recommendations, ideas, or analysis.

Use Caution: when accepting AI-generated information or recommendations without considering context, evidence, professional standards, or the unique circumstances of the situation.

AI should be used in ways that align with professional standards, ethical principles, and the best interests of those being served. Career professionals should consider the potential benefits, limitations, risks, and unintended consequences associated with AI use. Responsible use includes consideration of broader ethical, social, and environmental impacts where appropriate, including the effects of AI on individuals, communities, workplaces, and natural resources.

In Practice: Use AI in ways that align with professional values and support positive outcomes. Consider both the immediate and broader impacts of AI use on individuals, organizations, communities, and the environment. Weigh potential benefits, risks, and unintended consequences before relying on AI-generated information or recommendations.

Use Caution: when using AI in ways that may mislead, manipulate, discriminate against, exploit, or unintentionally harm individuals, groups, or communities.

Transparency promotes trust and supports informed decision-making. Career professionals should be open about how AI is used and be prepared to explain the role it played in generating information, content, recommendations, or decisions. Transparency also includes understanding the capabilities, limitations, and information-handling practices of AI systems, including how information may be collected, stored, retained, or shared.

In Practice: Disclose the use of AI when appropriate and provide sufficient information for others to understand and evaluate its role in the outcome. Be prepared to explain when, why, and how AI contributed to your work and how its outputs were reviewed. Communicate this information when appropriate to support informed decision-making.

Use Caution: when using AI-generated content, recommendations, or decisions without being prepared to explain how AI contributed to the outcome or what limitations may exist.

The protection of personal information remains a professional responsibility when using AI technologies. Career professionals should understand the privacy implications of the tools they use and comply with applicable legislation, organizational policies, and professional standards. Confidential, personal, and sensitive information should be protected through appropriate safeguards and responsible data management practices.

In Practice: Treat information shared through AI systems with the same care and professionalism expected in all areas of practice. Protect personal, confidential, and sensitive information by understanding the privacy settings, data retention practices, security protections, and terms of use associated with AI systems before entering information into them.

Use Caution: when entering personal, confidential, or sensitive information into AI systems without understanding how that information may be collected, stored, retained, shared, or used.

AI should be used in ways that support fairness, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and respect for diversity. AI systems reflect biases present in their design, training data, or implementation. Career professionals should remain aware of these limitations and take reasonable steps to identify and mitigate potential bias or discriminatory outcomes.

In Practice: Recognize that AI outputs may require additional review to ensure equitable and inclusive outcomes. Review AI-generated content, recommendations, assessments, communications, and learning materials for accessibility, inclusive language, cultural sensitivity, and potential barriers that may affect individuals or groups.

Use Caution: when relying on AI-generated outputs without considering potential bias, exclusion, accessibility concerns, or unintended impacts on diverse individuals and communities.

AI should be used in ways that promote safety, reliability, and security. Career professionals should evaluate potential risks associated with AI use and take reasonable steps to prevent harm. This includes protecting information, understanding technology risks, following cybersecurity best practices, and considering the potential consequences of AI-generated outputs.

In Practice: Assess potential risks before adopting new AI tools and establish appropriate safeguards to reduce the likelihood of harm. Evaluate AI tools before adoption, follow cybersecurity and privacy requirements, protect information appropriately, and take reasonable steps to reduce security risks.

Use Caution: when using AI systems without considering security risks, information protection requirements, or the potential consequences of inaccurate or inappropriate outputs.

AI should support learning, creativity, professional development, and professional practice, not misrepresent authorship, qualifications, competence, experience, or original work. Career professionals are expected to uphold intellectual honesty, appropriate attribution, and professional credibility when using AI-assisted tools. The use of AI does not remove responsibilities related to honesty, originality, attribution, or ethical conduct.

In Practice: Use AI to support learning and professional growth while maintaining personal integrity. AI can be used to support research, writing, idea generation, productivity, and professional practice but ensure that the work accurately reflects your own contributions, expertise, and responsibilities.

Use Caution: when representing AI-generated content, ideas, qualifications, expertise, or accomplishments in ways that may mislead others regarding authorship, originality, competence, or professional contribution.

Responsible AI use requires ongoing learning and adaptation. As AI technologies evolve, career professionals should remain informed about emerging developments, opportunities, limitations, risks, ethical considerations, and leading practices. Continuous learning supports professional competence, responsible decision-making, and the ongoing evolution of ethical AI practice.

In Practice: Remain curious and adaptable as AI technologies continue to evolve. Stay informed about evolving AI technologies, capabilities, limitations, ethical considerations, privacy requirements, emerging risks, and leading practices through personal research and ongoing professional development and learning.

Use Caution: when using AI technologies without understanding their capabilities, limitations, risks, ethical considerations, or appropriate applications.