Artificial Intelligence Statement

Statement regarding Artificial Intelligence, Likeness, and Harmful Content Issues

Considering our common goal of creating a fun, family-friendly environment where kids can develop not only their soccer skills, but lifetime leadership and social skills, it should be no surprise that AYSO expects everyone in our program to treat each other with dignity and respect, and to exercise common sense when interacting with each other. That expectation does not change when something is created or shared online.

Using artificial intelligence, photo or video editing, image-generation tools, social media, or any other technology to create or share content regarding any person that could be perceived as false, humiliating, threatening, sexually explicit, defamatory, or otherwise harmful is wholly unacceptable and contrary to our values and our mission. Using someone’s likeness without their consent in a way that embarrasses, demeans, intimidates, harasses, or harms them is never funny, and is similarly inappropriate. The fact that content is AI-generated, digitally altered, fictional, or intended as a joke does not minimize or justify its potential. Once something is created or shared, it can have a real and lasting negative impact on the person involved. The same is true whether the content is shared publicly, privately, or only with a small group.

This reminder applies not only to creating content, but also to requesting it, encouraging someone else to create it, sharing it, reposting it, or otherwise helping it spread. Everyone has a responsibility to think about the consequences of what they create and share.

This issue is especially pertinent to senior leaders of AYSO, who are appropriately held to a higher standard when it comes to interacting with everyone involved with AYSO. More than anyone, they should know that when someone uses technology to humiliate, harass, intimidate, or otherwise harm another member of our program, there could be significant consequences to them and to AYSO.

Besides the potential of being sued by someone who was the target of the above-referenced inappropriate conduct, any AYSO member could be suspended or removed from AYSO, depending on the circumstances.

Technology may change, but AYSO’s expectations do not. We will not accept the use of technology as a means of targeting, humiliating, or harming another person. Simply stated, AYSO expects its members to treat everyone with respect.