Writing an AI-Use Policy for a Small Team
Small teams often adopt AI tools informally, with each person making private choices. A short written policy prevents confusion and protects clients and staff. It does not need to be long or legalistic; it needs to be clear, specific, and kept current.
What a policy should accomplish
A good policy answers four questions: What may we use? For what purposes? What must we never do? Who do we ask when unsure? Anything beyond that should justify its place.
Suggested sections
- Purpose and scope: who the policy applies to, including contractors.
- Approved tools: a list of services allowed for work, and a process for requesting additions.
- Permitted uses: examples such as drafting, summarizing public material, brainstorming.
- Prohibited uses: examples such as entering confidential client data, making final decisions about people, or generating content that impersonates someone.
- Data handling: what information is allowed in which tools.
- Review requirements: human checking before anything leaves the team.
- Disclosure: when to tell clients or the public that AI contributed.
- Accountability: the named person responsible for the work product.
- Incidents: how to report a mistake or data exposure.
- Review date: when the policy will be revisited.
Classify your information
Create simple tiers. Public information can go into most tools. Internal material may be allowed only into approved services. Confidential and regulated data, such as personal records or client contracts, may be off limits entirely or restricted to specific settings. Concrete examples in each tier make the rules usable.
Cover intellectual property
State who owns work produced with assistance, and remind staff not to paste in material they lack the right to share. Note that output may resemble existing works, so important content should be checked for originality.
Address accuracy and bias
Require checking of facts and citations. Note that tools may reflect stereotypes or omit perspectives, and that decisions affecting people should not be delegated to them.
Keep language plain
Write for the people who will follow it. Use short sentences and real examples. Include a one-page summary that fits on a wall or in a chat pin.
Involve the team
Ask staff what they already use and what worries them. Policies written without input are often ignored, and you may discover risky habits you did not know existed.
Check legal and contractual duties
Clients may have terms about subcontracting or data processing. Local privacy laws may apply. For anything beyond a simple internal policy, consider advice from a qualified professional.
Enforce kindly, update often
Treat violations first as chances for learning, unless they are deliberate or serious. Review the policy at set intervals, such as every six months, because tools and risks shift quickly. Version it with dates so everyone knows which one applies.
A clear, short policy builds confidence. People can experiment with useful tools knowing where the boundaries lie.
A one-page version
If a full document feels heavy, start with five lines on a shared page: approved tools, never enter confidential client data, always review before sending, say when AI helped if a client asks, and ask a named person when unsure. Circulate it, collect reactions, and expand only where real questions arise. A short rule that everyone remembers beats a long one that sits unread.