Write a One-Page AI Policy

Create a One-Page AI Acceptable-Use Policy

AI is already being used inside your business whether you’ve officially approved it or not. A one-page policy written before something goes wrong is far better than a conversation after.

What to Do

• Identify which AI tools your business approves: Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, or others.
• Define what employees can and cannot input. For instance, no client names, no account numbers, no confidential financials, and no personally identifiable information of any kind.
• Specify who reviews AI-generated content before it goes to clients or is used for business decisions.
• Keep the policy one page, write it in plain English, and make it easy to find.

Common Mistake

A team member pastes a client’s financial summary into a free AI tool to help draft a letter, not out of carelessness, but because it seemed like a harmless shortcut. That tool processes and potentially stores that data on servers outside your control. Depending on your industry, such as banking, healthcare, or legal, this may also be a regulatory violation.

Most employees doing this aren’t acting maliciously. They’re solving a problem with the most convenient tool available because nobody gave them a policy. A clear one-page document changes that.

How to Know It’s Done

• A one-page AI acceptable-use policy exists and has been shared with all employees.
• Employees know which tools are approved and understand that confidential or client information stays out of all AI tools unless otherwise specified.