ChatGPT (Agency of Education)

Good afternoon –

I am writing to confirm receipt of your request and to request a clarification of item 5 below. I have done a preliminary review of potentially responsive materials, and it appears that a very large percentage of all records held by AOE staff that mention “ChatGPT” are mass emails from news or other media sources to AOE staff members. For example, there are emails from the email address donotreply@vermontbix.com<mailto:donotreply@vermontbix.com> that links to an article from CNBC entitled “Microsoft announces new multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT-maker Open AI”. Other mass mail examples include from “The Education Gadfly Weekly”, “Govtech Today”, “Ascend Magazine”, “edWeb”, Twitter summaries, “MUO Daily”, “The Learning Agency”, and many others that include a mention of “ChatGPT”. Can you clarify whether item 5 can exclude mass emails from outside sources?

We can develop an estimated fee for complying with this request, but it will differ significantly depending on whether item 5 below can be limited as described above.
Thanks,
Jaime

Good afternoon –

We are continuing to work on compiling the response to the records request below, as clarified by your email on February 22. Your request gives rise to the need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records, and thus constitutes “unusual circumstances” as defined in 1 V.S.A. § 318(a)(5)(B). Accordingly, the Agency will respond to your request within 10 business days from the date we received it.

Thank you very much,
Jaime Kraybill
Assistant Attorney General
Agency of Education
jaime.kraybill@vermont.gov<mailto:jaime.kraybill@vermont.gov>
1 National Life Drive | Davis 5 | Montpelier, VT 05620-2501
802-828-0160
Pronouns: she, her, hers

PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: This communication may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. DO NOT read, copy, or disseminate this communication unless you are the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this email in error), please notify the sender immediately and destroy this email.

Good afternoon –

In response to your public records request, as modified by our email exchange below, please see responsive material in the folder, here: [​Folder icon] 2023 02 28 - ChatGPT Public Records Request<https://vermontgov-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/jaime_kraybill_vermont_gov/Etd9BIuie2ZAmQbNvK53OloBGp2Fg5987rpCiBA41dbvjw?email=140657-86435211%40requests.muckrock.com&e=x5UEbd>

Please see the following responses to your individual items:

1. All instructional materials, presentations and presentation materials related to ChatGPT. This includes A) any notes taken during meetings that discussed ChatGPT and B) Any other documents related to ChatGPT including internal documentation, public relations materials, and executive summaries. After reviewing all potentially responsive records, I can and do certify pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 318(b)(4) that no records as specified by your request exist at this Agency.
2. Any memos or communications sent to schools, administrators, teachers, parents, or students that mention "ChatGPT." All responsive materials are in the folder linked above. Please note that three documents were redacted, as they contained personally identifiable information regarding students, which is exempt from production pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 317(c)(11) (student records). Any information contained in the responsive records that could potentially identify an individual student has been redacted pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 318(e). As provided under 1 V.S.A. § 318(c)(1), you may appeal any denial of access to information to the Secretary of Education.
3. Any case studies, enforcement actions, contracts, or other documents mentioning ChatGPT. After reviewing all potentially responsive records, I can and do certify pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 318(b)(4) that no records as specified by your request exist at this Agency.
4. Any academic dishonesty policies that mention ChatGPT. After reviewing all potentially responsive records, I can and do certify pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 318(b)(4) that no records as specified by your request exist at this Agency.
5. To the extent possible, any emails and associated attachments that mention ChatGPT. All responsive materials to this request, as modified by our emails below, are in the folder linked above.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,
Jaime

Jaime Kraybill
Assistant Attorney General
jaime.kraybill@vermont.gov<mailto:jaime.kraybill@vermont.gov>
Agency of Education
1 National Life Drive | Davis 5
Montpelier, VT 05620
802-828-0160
Pronouns: she, her, hers

PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: This communication may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. DO NOT read, copy, or disseminate this communication unless you are the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this email in error), please notify the sender immediately and destroy this email.

Please see the attached. Please confirm that you’ve received this and have been able to access the files.
Best,
Jaime

We completed this request on March 3, 2023. Please let me know if you have any questions.