# Section 15: AI Policy {% hint style="info" %} 🟦 = NAR-based policy provision {% endhint %} ### [15.1 – Purpose and Scope](#id-16.1-purpose-and-scope) The purpose of this Section is to establish standards for the use of artificial intelligence (β€œAI”) in connection with the BSCMLS, MLS data, listing content, and real estate brokerage activity. This policy is intended to promote accuracy, transparency, fair housing compliance, data security, and professional responsibility while recognizing that AI tools may be used for legitimate business purposes. This Section applies to all Participants, Subscribers, Office Staff, vendors, and any other person or entity using AI tools in connection with MLS listings, listing content, remarks, photos, audio, or video, MLS data or reports, customer communications related to MLS content, or any product or service connected to BSCMLS access or data. Use of AI does not reduce or transfer a Participant’s or Subscriber’s responsibility for compliance with MLS Rules, applicable law, license law, fair housing requirements, copyright obligations, or data security standards. Violations of this Section may result in corrective action, fines, suspension, termination, vendor disconnection, or other discipline under Section 16. ### [15.2 – Definitions and General Standards](#id-15.2-enforcement) * **Artificial Intelligence (AI):** Any software, platform, or automated system that generates, modifies, analyzes, summarizes, enhances, or interprets text, images, audio, video, data, or other content using machine learning, large language models, computer vision, or similar technologies. * **AI-Generated Content:** Content created primarily by an AI tool, including listing remarks, property descriptions, summaries, captions, translations, image edits, audio, video, or other media. * **AI-Assisted Content:** Content created or revised with the help of AI but reviewed and adopted by a human user before publication or submission. * **AI-Altered Media:** Any photo, image, audio, or video that has been enhanced, modified, staged, restyled, cleaned up, edited, expanded, removed, generated, or otherwise changed through AI tools. * **Approved Tools:** Technology tools authorized by the Participant, brokerage, MLS, or vendor agreement, as applicable, for lawful business use. AI may be used for legitimate business purposes, including drafting, summarizing, formatting, translation, internal research, internal organization, and similar support functions, provided the resulting use complies with these Rules. ### All AI use is subject to these general standards: {% stepper %} {% step %} #### **Human Review Required** Participants and Subscribers must review AI-generated or AI-assisted content before it is submitted to the MLS or shared with clients or the public. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### **Accuracy** AI content must be accurate, current, and supported by reliable source information. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### **No Delegation of Responsibility** A Participant or Subscriber remains fully responsible for all content submitted to the MLS or distributed using MLS data, even if prepared by AI, staff, or a third-party vendor. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### **Compliance with Law and MLS Rules** AI use must comply with all applicable fair housing laws, privacy requirements, copyright rules, license law, and MLS policies. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### **No Misleading Use** AI may not be used to create false, deceptive, misleading, discriminatory, or unverifiable content. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ### [15.3 – AI-Generated Listing Content and Media](#id-15.3-definitions) AI may be used to assist with listing descriptions, summaries, captions, translations, formatting, and media preparation, but all content submitted to the MLS must accurately represent the property and transaction. #### A. AI-Generated Text and Remarks AI may be used to help draft public remarks, agent remarks, captions, feature summaries, internal notes, marketing language, and translations. However: {% stepper %} {% step %} All MLS remarks must be accurate and based on verifiable property information. {% endstep %} {% step %} AI may not invent, exaggerate, assume, or imply facts that are not supported by the listing file, seller instructions, public record, or other reliable source. {% endstep %} {% step %} AI-generated text must comply with all MLS rules regarding public remarks, agent remarks, fair housing, compensation, and prohibited content. {% endstep %} {% step %} Participants and Subscribers must independently verify measurements, features, upgrades, zoning, lot details, school information, legal status, and similar factual claims before publication. {% endstep %} {% step %} AI may be used to improve readability, tone, or grammar, but not to create misleading marketing claims. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} #### B. AI-Altered Images, Audio, and Video AI may be used to improve image quality, brightness, cropping, minor color correction, or similar technical cleanup so long as the resulting media still accurately depicts the property. AI may also be used for virtual staging, item removal, enhancement, or similar edits only if the resulting media does not mislead the viewer about the condition, features, layout, finishes, views, lot characteristics, or included property. The following standards apply: {% stepper %} {% step %} AI-altered media must not materially misrepresent the property. {% endstep %} {% step %} Permanent defects, missing features, lot conditions, environmental conditions, structural issues, or legally significant facts may not be concealed. {% endstep %} {% step %} AI may not be used to add features that do not exist, remove material conditions, alter room dimensions, change views, or otherwise create a false impression of the property. {% endstep %} {% step %} If media has been materially altered beyond ordinary cosmetic enhancement, disclosure should be made in a clear and appropriate manner. {% endstep %} {% step %} AI-generated persons, vehicles, furnishings, landscaping, skies, scenery, or other elements may not be used in a way that misleads consumers about the actual property or setting. {% endstep %} {% step %} Audio and video generated or altered by AI are subject to the same truthfulness and disclosure standards as still images. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ### [15.4 – Fair Housing and Prohibited Content](#id-15.4-permitted-use) AI may not be used in any way that creates, reproduces, reinforces, or disguises unlawful discrimination, steering, bias, or exclusion. Participants and Subscribers must ensure that AI-generated content complies with all applicable fair housing laws and does not reference protected classes, discriminatory preferences, or language that could discourage or exclude prospective buyers, tenants, or other consumers. {% hint style="danger" icon="circle-equals" %} #### Fair Housing The following are prohibited in AI-generated or AI-assisted content: ❌ discriminatory descriptions ❌ coded or suggestive language indicating preference or limitation ❌ assumptions about people, neighborhoods, schools, culture, religion, race, disability, familial status, sex, national origin, or other protected characteristics ❌ AI prompts or workflows designed to generate discriminatory outcomes ❌ targeted filtering or ranking that violates fair housing principles {% endhint %} {% hint style="danger" icon="circle-equals" %} #### Prohibited Uses AI may not be used to: ❌ create false or misleading listing content ❌ generate unverifiable property facts and submit them as true ❌ alter media in a way that materially misrepresents the property ❌ conceal legally significant defects or conditions ❌ generate or transmit compensation-related content in violation of MLS rules ❌ create prohibited remarks or prohibited advertising content ❌ misuse confidential MLS data ❌ impersonate a seller, buyer, agent, appraiser, or other person ❌ create fake offers, fake leads, fake showing activity, or fake records ❌ generate discriminatory, defamatory, harassing, deceptive, or unlawful content ❌ use AI outputs as a substitute for required professional judgment, required disclosures, or legal compliance {% endhint %} #### Any AI use that violates another section of the Rulebook also violates this Section. ### [15.5 – Privacy, Security, and Intellectual Property](#id-15.5-accuracy-and-professional-responsibility) AI tools may only be used in a way that protects confidential information, seller and client privacy, MLS data security, and intellectual property rights. #### A. Privacy and Security Participants and Subscribers may not upload, paste, submit, or expose confidential, non-public, or protected information to AI tools unless such use is authorized, secure, and compliant with applicable law, brokerage policy, vendor agreements, and MLS rules. This includes, but is not limited to: confidential MLS fields; seller instructions not intended for public release; private client information; financial or personal identifying information; lockbox codes, access instructions, or security information; and non-public data obtained through MLS systems or feeds * Before using any AI tool, the user is responsible for understanding whether the tool stores, trains on, shares, retains, or reuses uploaded information. #### B. Approved Tools Participants and Subscribers should use only tools that are lawfully obtained, reasonably secure, and consistent with brokerage and MLS requirements. Use of consumer-grade or public AI tools for confidential MLS information is prohibited unless the tool and the use are authorized and appropriately secured. #### C. Copyright, Attribution, and Ownership Use of AI does not create ownership rights in content the user did not otherwise have the right to use. MLS content remains subject to copyright, ownership, licensing, and use restrictions regardless of whether AI is used to create, revise, summarize, or distribute it. Participants and Subscribers may not: ❌ upload or use copyrighted MLS content in violation of MLS rules or vendor license terms ❌ use AI to scrape, republish, or repackage MLS content for unauthorized purposes ❌ claim ownership of content they do not own ❌ remove attribution or rights information where such attribution is required ❌ use AI-generated content in a way that infringes copyright, trademark, or other protected rights ### [15.6 – Responsibility for AI Tools and Third Parties](#id-15.6-ai-generated-text-and-remarks) * Participants are responsible for the conduct of their affiliated Subscribers, Office Staff, assistants, contractors, and vendors who use AI in connection with MLS activity. * Subscribers are responsible for AI use conducted through their accounts, devices, workflows, prompts, or approved business tools. * Brokerages and users remain responsible for vendor tools, automation systems, plug-ins, integrations, and third-party AI products used in connection with MLS data or listing content. Reliance on a vendor or software provider is not a defense to an MLS violation. * If a third-party tool or vendor misuses MLS data, generates prohibited content, exposes confidential information, creates false or discriminatory outputs, violates feed restrictions or license terms, or otherwise causes a rules violation, the Participant and/or Subscriber using that tool may still be subject to discipline. * BSCMLS may require discontinuation of a tool, suspension of a workflow, termination of data access, removal of content, or other corrective action if an AI tool or vendor creates compliance, security, legal, or operational risk. * Participants and Subscribers should promptly correct or remove any AI-generated content that is found to be inaccurate, misleading, non-compliant, or otherwise in violation of these Rules. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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