AI acceptable use policy

A typical policy covers scope (who and which tools), approved and prohibited tools, data classification rules (for example, no customer personal data or source code in consumer AI apps), requirements to verify output, disclosure of AI use to clients or readers, intellectual property, prohibited uses such as automated decisions about people without review, and how to request a new tool. It should be short enough that people actually read it.

Why it matters: without a policy, employees make their own judgement calls, and sensitive data can end up in tools the organisation has never reviewed. A clear policy also speeds adoption, because people know what is allowed. When buying AI tools, the policy becomes a checklist: does the tool meet the data, retention and access requirements it sets?

Example: a policy might allow staff to use the company's enterprise AI assistant for drafting and summarising internal documents, forbid entering client data into any personal account and require a human check of any AI-generated figure before it goes to a customer.

Limits: a policy is not legal advice and does not replace compliance with the laws of your jurisdiction. It needs an owner, training and regular review as tools and regulations change.