Responsible AI & Personalization Framework

Our AI Ethics

Date of Last Revision: August 31, 2026

At the-hyve, we use AI-enabled technology to help personalize recommendations and connect people with events and experiences that may be relevant to their interests, preferences and social needs. We believe AI should support meaningful human connection without compromising safety, dignity, privacy, fairness, autonomy or inclusion. Our approach to AI is guided by responsible AI principles, including transparency, human oversight, privacy, fairness, safety and accountability.

How We Personalize Responsibly

Our AI-supported personalization is designed to use only information that is appropriate and relevant to helping users discover suitable experiences. Depending on the feature, this may include information users provide about themselves, such as their interests, preferences and personality-related information, as well as approved in-app interactions and voluntary feedback. We apply data minimization principles so that information collected by the-hyve is not automatically made available for AI use. Where consent or user choice is required, we aim to make those choices clear and accessible.

Sensitive Information and Inferences

We recognize that AI can sometimes generate inferences about people beyond the information they directly provide. We do not use AI-supported personalization for the purpose of inferring highly sensitive characteristics such as race or ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation or mental-health status. We assess the information used for AI-supported matching to identify and reduce the risk of inappropriate or unnecessary sensitive inferences and to help ensure that information is used only for approved purposes.

Fairness & Inclusion

We want AI-supported recommendations to create opportunities for connection rather than reinforce unfair patterns or exclusion. We design and monitor our matching approach with the goal of avoiding unjustified advantages or disadvantages, including unfairly favouring highly active users, disadvantaging newcomers or repeatedly directing users toward overly narrow experiences. Where appropriate, we use safeguards such as neutral starting conditions for new users, exploration of different recommendations and monitoring for unexpected disparities or patterns.

Transparency & Explainability

We believe users should understand when AI materially influences their experience. Where AI supports personalization or matching, we aim to explain in clear language what the technology is being used for and the general types of information that may influence recommendations. Where reasonably practicable, we aim to provide understandable reasons why an experience may be relevant, such as interests, preferences, event characteristics, previous interactions or voluntary feedback. We do not present speculative psychological conclusions or hidden labels about users as established facts.

Safety Comes First

User safety and well-being are fundamental to how we govern AI. Our AI-supported matching should not prioritize engagement, activity or other commercial objectives at the expense of user safety. Where credible safety or comfort concerns arise, recommendations may be limited, modified, escalated or blocked in accordance with our safety processes. We monitor AI-enabled functionality for potential safety issues and investigate material concerns when they are identified.

Human Oversight and Accountability

AI supports our personalization and matching processes, but responsibility for how AI is used remains with people at the-hyve. We do not treat AI outputs as automatically correct simply because they are generated by technology. Appropriate human oversight is incorporated into our governance processes so that concerns can be reviewed, decisions can be challenged or escalated and AI-enabled functionality can be changed or restricted when risks are identified.

Ongoing Governance

Responsible AI requires ongoing oversight. We maintain governance processes to assess material AI uses throughout their lifecycle, including risk assessment, data and privacy considerations, fairness, transparency, safety, security, human oversight and third-party AI risk. AI-enabled matching and personalization are subject to risk-based monitoring and review, and material issues or changes may trigger reassessment and remediation. Our governance approach evolves as our technology, business, user needs and applicable regulatory expectations change.

Your Choices & Feedback

We believe people should have meaningful information and appropriate choices regarding AI-supported personalization. Where applicable, we provide mechanisms for users to manage their participation, preferences or consent and to provide feedback about their recommendations. User feedback, complaints and concerns can also help us identify where our AI-enabled experiences may need to be reviewed or improved.

In short: We use AI to support better human connection, not replace it. Our goal is to use AI responsibly, transparently and thoughtfully, with people, safety and trust at the centre of how our technology is governed.

Questions or Concerns If you have questions, feedback or concerns about how AI-supported personalization is used at the-hyve, you can contact us through Support@the-hyve.ca. Privacy-related questions and requests are handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.