Short on time? Here’s the whole article in four lines.
- If anyone helps with your business, they’re probably already using AI. A short policy keeps everyone on the same page.
- It doesn’t need to be long. One page covering what’s okay, what’s not, and what to share is enough.
- The big three: protect private information, check before it goes out, and be honest about AI use.
- Review it every six months. AI tools change fast.
Anyone with employees, contractors, virtual assistants, or interns. Even a team of two benefits from saying the rules out loud.
| Section | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Approved tools | Which AI tools can people use for work? Paid business accounts or personal ones? |
| Private information | What must never go into AI? (Client names, financial details, passwords, health information) |
| Checking work | Who reviews AI-assisted work before it goes to a client or goes public? |
| Honesty | When do we tell clients or customers that AI helped? |
| Off limits | What should never be done with AI? (Fake reviews, fake photos of real people, final decisions about people) |
| Questions | Who do people ask when they’re unsure? |
[Business name] AI guidelines
- You may use [Claude / ChatGPT / Gemini] for drafting, brainstorming, research, and summarizing. Use our business account when possible.
- Never enter client names, contact details, financial or health information, passwords, or anything confidential.
- Always review AI-assisted work before it goes to a client or is published. You’re responsible for what you send.
- Check facts, numbers, and quotes against a reliable source.
- Be honest. Don’t present AI-generated images as real photos, and never create fake reviews or testimonials.
- Keep people decisions human. Hiring, firing, and pay decisions are made by people.
- Ask [name] if you’re not sure.
Last updated: [date]
Ask AI to adapt it: “Here’s a starter AI policy. Adjust it for my [three-person marketing agency] that handles client social media.”
If you’re in a regulated field like health, legal, or finance, or you handle lots of personal data, check your industry’s rules too. This is general information, not legal advice.
Gabriela runs a small marketing agency with two part-time contractors. She found out one of them had pasted a client’s private sales numbers into a free AI tool.
No harm was done, but it was a wake-up call. Gabriela adapted the starter policy, talked it through on a 20-minute call, and moved everyone to a business AI plan with stronger privacy terms. Now the contractors ask first when they’re unsure.
