Terms of Service

Effective Date: 30 April 2026
Version: 2.0
Replaces: Terms of Service dated 6 October 2023

Introduction

WASH AI is an artificial-intelligence service developed and operated by Baobab Tech, a trading name of Mills IT Consulting Ltd., a company incorporated in Alberta, Canada.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the WASH AI platform, regardless of the interface through which you interact with it (website, mobile applications, embedded widgets, APIs, and third-party messaging integrations such as WhatsApp and Telegram).

These Terms apply uniformly across all WASH AI tenants and sub-tenants, including but not limited to:

SaniHub
ACF (Action Contre la Faim / Action Against Hunger)
RWSN (Rural Water Supply Network)
Resource Recovery Toolbox
Global WASH Cluster

Any future tenant, partner deployment, white-label instance, or sectoral knowledge module operated on the WASH AI infrastructure is automatically bound by the version of these Terms in force at the time of access. Where a tenant publishes additional terms or supplementary policies (for example, a partner organisation's code of conduct), those terms apply in addition to, and never in derogation of, these Terms. In the event of irreconcilable conflict, these Terms prevail unless the conflicting tenant term offers stronger protection to the user, in which case the user-protective provision applies.

Parties

This agreement is between you, the user (or, where you act on behalf of an organisation, that organisation), and Baobab Tech, operating under Mills IT Consulting Ltd. ("Baobab Tech", "we", "us", or "our").

By accessing or using WASH AI you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by these Terms.

1. Acceptance of Terms

Your engagement with any element of WASH AI — including the public website, tenant-branded deployments, mobile applications, APIs, and messaging-platform integrations — constitutes acceptance of these Terms.

If you do not agree with any provision, you must stop using the service.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, acceptance of these Terms is given freely and may be withdrawn at any time by ceasing use of the service and exercising the data-subject rights described in Section 9.

2. User Eligibility and Registration

2.1 Age requirements.
WASH AI is intended for adult professional and academic use. Users must be at least 18 years of age. Where a tenant deployment expressly authorises use by minors aged 16 or older, parental or guardian consent must be obtained in line with Article 8 GDPR and applicable national law.

2.2 Accuracy of information.
You agree to provide accurate, current and complete registration information. Pseudonyms, impersonation, or the creation of accounts on behalf of another person without authorisation are prohibited.

2.3 Account security.
You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for any activity carried out under your account. Notify us promptly at support@washai.org if you suspect unauthorised access.

2.4 Organisational accounts.
Where access is provided through an institutional or tenant account, the institution is responsible for managing the access of its end users and acts as data controller (or joint controller) for that user base, with Baobab Tech acting as data processor for the underlying AI service. A Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is available on request and is incorporated by reference into these Terms for all institutional users.

3. Service Description and Limitations

3.1 Nature of the service.
WASH AI is an information and decision-support tool for the water, sanitation, hygiene, and resource-recovery sectors. It uses large language models (LLMs) and curated knowledge sources to generate responses to user queries.

3.2 Beta and continuing improvement.
Some WASH AI features may be offered on a beta or preview basis. Outputs from any AI system can vary in accuracy, completeness, and relevance.

3.3 Not professional advice.
WASH AI does not provide medical, legal, engineering, financial, or other regulated professional advice. Users must apply independent professional judgement before acting on any output. Critical infrastructure, public-health and emergency-response decisions must always be validated by qualified human experts.

3.4 Rate limits and fair use.
We may apply usage thresholds, query rate limits, or temporary restrictions to preserve service stability and prevent abuse. Limits may be adjusted without prior notice.

3.5 Tiered access.
A free tier will always be maintained so that WASH knowledge remains accessible regardless of the user's financial means. Paid plans, where introduced, will be governed by separate, clearly disclosed commercial terms.

4. AI Model Selection, Data Routing, and Model-Specific Terms

WASH AI integrates multiple third-party AI models. The model used to answer your query may differ depending on your selection, your tenant's default configuration, the language of your query, and the type of task being performed.

4.1 Model selector.
Where the interface offers a model selector, you may choose between the available models. Each model is operated by a separate underlying provider and is subject to that provider's own terms, privacy notice, and data-handling commitments. The current providers and models available may change over time; the in-product model selector and the WASH AI documentation site list the live options at any given moment.

4.2 Differing data-handling commitments.
Different models offer different commitments regarding:

Data retention. Some models operate under zero-data-retention (ZDR) agreements, meaning that prompts and outputs are not stored by the model provider beyond the time strictly needed to return a response. Other models may retain data for limited operational, abuse-prevention, or quality-improvement purposes. Retention periods, where applicable, are disclosed in the model description.
Geographic processing region. Some models are processed exclusively within the European Union or European Economic Area. Others are processed in the United States, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions. International transfers, where they occur, rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and supplementary measures consistent with Schrems II and applicable EU data-protection guidance.
Use for model training. Some models contractually exclude use of customer prompts and outputs for training; others may allow it under defined conditions. WASH AI does not opt customer data into model training by default and configures provider integrations to exclude training use wherever the provider permits.

4.3 EU-only processing option — EcoSmart (Mistral Magistral Medium).
Users requiring EU-only processing of their chats must select the EcoSmart option, which routes inference to Mistral Magistral Medium operated by Mistral AI (France). When EcoSmart is selected:

Inference is performed on infrastructure located within the European Union.
The model provider operates under a zero-data-retention configuration for WASH AI traffic.
No personal data contained in prompts or outputs is transferred outside the EU/EEA in connection with the inference call itself, save for limited platform telemetry described in our Privacy Policy.

If you have a regulatory, contractual, or organisational requirement to keep your AI interactions inside the EU, you are responsible for selecting EcoSmart (or another EU-resident model where designated as such) before submitting your query. Selecting a non-EU model overrides any EU-only default and constitutes your instruction to route the query to the chosen model's region.

4.4 Tenant-level defaults.
Tenants may configure a default model for their deployment. A tenant may, for example, set EcoSmart as the default for all users of its instance. Users within that tenant remain bound by the tenant's configuration and by any additional tenant-specific data-handling instructions.

4.5 Transparency obligation.
For each query, the WASH AI interface indicates which model produced the response. Where a fallback or routing decision changes the model mid-conversation (for example, because a primary model is unavailable), the interface flags the change.

4.6 Acknowledgement of model variability.
You acknowledge that different models may produce different answers to the same query, and that switching models may affect the quality, length, language coverage, and tone of responses. Baobab Tech does not warrant that any given model will remain available indefinitely.

5. Payment, Refund, and Subscription

WASH AI is currently offered free of charge. If paid tiers are introduced, the applicable commercial terms — including price, billing cycle, refund policy, and the consumer right of withdrawal under EU Directive 2011/83/EU where applicable — will be presented before purchase and will form an addendum to these Terms.

EEA, UK and Swiss consumers retain their statutory 14-day right of withdrawal for paid digital services, except where they have requested immediate performance and expressly waived that right in line with Article 16(m) of the Consumer Rights Directive.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 WASH AI content.
The software, interface, branding, curated knowledge collections, and aggregated outputs of WASH AI are the property of Baobab Tech or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

6.2 Third-party content.
WASH AI cites and links to third-party sources where possible. If you believe content has been used in a manner inconsistent with the rights of a copyright holder, contact us at support@washai.org with the information required by Article 17 of the EU Copyright Directive (Directive 2019/790) or the equivalent local notice-and-action regime.

6.3 User-generated content.
You retain ownership of the prompts and inputs you submit. By submitting them, you grant Baobab Tech a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to process them solely for the purpose of operating the service, ensuring its security, complying with legal obligations, and producing the requested output.

6.4 AI-generated outputs.
Outputs generated by WASH AI in response to your queries are provided to you for your own use, subject to these Terms and to the underlying model provider's terms. You are responsible for verifying that the use you make of an output complies with applicable law and third-party rights, including any rights in source materials referenced by the output.

7. User Conduct and Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

circumvent the standard interfaces, scrape the service, or extract data through automated means beyond rate limits we permit;
use WASH AI to generate content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, or that infringes the rights of others;
use the service to develop competing AI models, including by harvesting outputs for training datasets;
attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or otherwise derive the source code or model weights;
submit personal data of third parties without a lawful basis;
use WASH AI to make automated decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects on a natural person without appropriate human oversight, in line with Article 22 GDPR and the EU AI Act.

8. EU AI Act Compliance and Transparency

WASH AI is provided in compliance with applicable provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the EU AI Act).

WASH AI is classified as a general-purpose AI-enabled information system, not a high-risk AI system within the meaning of Annex III of the AI Act, and is not deployed for biometric identification, employment decisions, credit scoring, or other listed high-risk uses.
All AI-generated content is clearly identified as such, satisfying the transparency obligation in Article 50 of the AI Act.
Users are informed that they are interacting with an AI system from the first interaction.
Where the AI Act introduces additional obligations for general-purpose AI systems applicable to integrators, Baobab Tech will adapt the service and these Terms in line with the timelines set by the Regulation.

If you intend to deploy WASH AI in a context that may be considered high-risk under the AI Act (for example, integration into a regulated public-service workflow), contact us in advance so a suitable conformity, governance and human-oversight arrangement can be agreed.

9. Data Protection (GDPR and Equivalent Regimes)

9.1 Roles.
For end users interacting directly with the public WASH AI service, Baobab Tech acts as data controller for account, authentication, and platform-telemetry data. For tenant deployments, Baobab Tech generally acts as a data processor on behalf of the tenant controller, governed by a Data Processing Agreement.

9.2 Lawful bases.
We process personal data on the following lawful bases under Article 6 GDPR:

performance of the contract represented by these Terms;
our legitimate interests in operating, securing, and improving the service, balanced against your rights;
your consent, where requested (for example, optional analytics or marketing communications);
compliance with legal obligations.

9.3 International transfers.
Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/914), supplementary technical measures (encryption in transit and at rest, pseudonymisation where feasible), and Transfer Impact Assessments. Selecting an EU-resident model such as Ecosmart minimises such transfers for inference traffic.

9.4 Your rights.
Subject to the conditions in the GDPR, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, port, and object to the processing of your personal data, and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Requests may be sent to privacy@washai.org. We respond within one month, extendable by two further months for complex requests.

9.5 Data retention.
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, with retention periods detailed in our Privacy Policy. Conversation data handled under zero-data-retention model configurations is not retained beyond the inference call.

9.6 Security.
We apply technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk in line with Article 32 GDPR, including encryption, access control, audit logging, and incident-response procedures. Data breaches will be notified to supervisory authorities and, where required, to affected users in line with Articles 33 and 34 GDPR.

9.7 Children.
WASH AI is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly process personal data of children below the age set by the applicable Member State under Article 8 GDPR.

10. Service Levels and Availability

We target a 99% monthly uptime across the public WASH AI service but do not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or secure access. Planned maintenance is announced where reasonably possible. Tenant-specific service levels, where agreed in writing, prevail for that tenant.

11. Feedback

We welcome user feedback. By submitting feedback you grant us a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licence to use it to improve WASH AI, without obligation to compensate you. Feedback is handled in line with our Privacy Policy.

12. Accessibility

We are working towards alignment with the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) and WCAG 2.2 AA. Beta features may not yet meet these standards. Accessibility issues can be reported to support@washai.org and will be addressed as part of our continuous-improvement programme.

13. Translation Quality

WASH AI may use machine translation to support multilingual access. Translations may contain errors. Critical communications should be verified with a human translator.

14. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

14.1 As-is service.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, WASH AI is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement.

14.2 Limitation.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Baobab Tech and its affiliates are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill arising out of or in connection with the use of WASH AI.

14.3 Mandatory protections preserved.
Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or any non-waivable consumer rights under the laws of the user's habitual residence.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

15.1 General.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada, and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Disputes will be resolved by the courts of Alberta.

15.2 Consumers in the EEA, UK and Switzerland.
If you are a consumer habitually resident in the EEA, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the choice of Alberta law does not deprive you of the protection of mandatory provisions of the law of your country of residence, and you may bring proceedings in the courts of your country of residence in line with applicable consumer-protection law (including Regulation (EU) 1215/2012 and Regulation (EC) 593/2008).

15.3 Online dispute resolution.
EU consumers may use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. We are not currently committed to using a specific alternative dispute-resolution body but will consider proposals on a case-by-case basis.

16. Modifications

We may update these Terms periodically. Material changes will be notified through the WASH AI interface or by email at least 30 days before they take effect, except where a shorter period is required by law or security considerations. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance. Where required, your renewed consent will be obtained.

17. Assignment

You may not transfer or assign your rights or obligations under these Terms. We may assign these Terms to an affiliate or successor in connection with a corporate reorganisation, merger, or sale of assets, provided that the assignee accepts the same obligations toward you.

18. Entire Agreement and Severability

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, the Data Processing Agreement (where applicable), tenant-specific terms, and any commercial order form, constitute the entire agreement between you and Baobab Tech regarding WASH AI. If any provision is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

19. Contact

Baobab Tech (Mills IT Consulting Ltd.)
General queries, support, accessibility, and copyright notices: support@washai.org
Privacy and data-subject requests: privacy@washai.org
Security incidents: security@washai.org

EU representative under Article 27 GDPR: to be appointed. Until an EU-established representative is formally appointed, EU data subjects can direct GDPR enquiries to privacy@washai.org.

20. Acknowledgement

By engaging with WASH AI you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.