Why Your Business Needs an AI Acceptable Use Policy

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the workplace and is slowly becoming as commonplace as email or video conferencing. From its ability to automate repetitive tasks and accelerate decision-making processes, AI is no longer a concept of the future; it's a modern-day productivity tool.

In a previous post, we staged a writer vs. ChatGPT debate that showcased the increasingly impressive capabilities of ChatGPT to mimic style and tone, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. AI is making its way into seemingly every tool you know and love, and if you can get past some of the pop-ups shouting about new features, some of the tools are quite useful.

Every Business Needs an AI Acceptable Use Policy

Like most productivity tools, however, AI has its pros and cons. In AI's case, the "cons" list is long. AI is quickly introducing new ethical dilemmas, data protection problems, and regulatory compliance challenges.

Given how quickly AI has evolved, it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with these changes and mitigate the potential negative side effects of AI.

That's why your business needs an AI Acceptable Use Policy.

What is an AI Acceptable Use Policy?

An AI Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) establishes guidelines for the responsible use of AI technology within an organization or department. A comprehensive AUP, with clearly defined expectations and consequences, maintains user accountability and helps mitigate legal, ethical, and data security risks associated with AI technologies.

Additionally, an AI Acceptable Use Policy will detail the results of violating the policy and can help protect businesses legally in the event of a breach. Consider an AI AUP both a form of insurance (figuratively speaking) and a preventative measure.

What sets an AUP apart from other agreements is that it applies to entire networks and primarily focuses on team members—not clients. When team members know what is expected of them, they are better prepared to make productive decisions that reflect well on the business. That's why it's critical that businesses clearly outline their expectations for AI use in the workplace.

Why Do You Need an AI Acceptable Use Policy?

Ingenious cyberattacks and external threats are not always the reason behind AI-related data leaks. In many cases, they stem from the everyday actions of well-meaning team members. AI Acceptable Use Policies augment your cybersecurity by helping to mitigate internal risks associated with AI.

To better understand how AI data leaks happen, let's consider them in the context of three access points—or "doors."

3 Ways AI Creates Hidden Doors in Your Network

There are three primary doors through which hackers can steal data. Although each door is different, they have one thing in common: policy gaps.

Policy gaps occur when the desired result of a policy and its implementation are inconsistent.

Video: 3 Ways AI Creates Hidden Doors in Your Network: Why Businesses Need an AI Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Let’s take a closer look at the 3 ways AI creates hidden doors in your network:

The Front Door

The Front Door represents team members manually putting data into AI tools such as ChatGPT or other generative platforms. While these interactions are typically intended to be harmless and used for small and simple tasks like writing short emails, summarizing notes, or brainstorming ideas, they can lead to data leaks when sensitive information is involved. Think of security codes or team email addresses.

The risk here is that AI models tend to utilize user inputs for future model training, which is how personal information can resurface. If usage policies aren’t clear, this could lead to a serious breach.

The Side Door

The Side Door consists of AI plugins, browser extensions, and third-party integrations. These tools are intended to streamline work processes, but some operate with little to no oversight. They’ll request broad-ranging permissions, including but not limited to reading your browser activity. A single bad extension can compromise an entire device, making the job all too easy for attackers. It’s critical to enforce company guidelines and monitor installed tools continuously to reduce risk.

The Back Door

The Back Door is where AI pulls data on its own. A prime example is Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is allowed access to your inbox, OneDrive, and calendar. It grabs just about anything it wants. While people designed these tools to enhance productivity, their free-range access can become a liability if not managed correctly. When AI has more access than necessary, it can lead to the unintended surfacing of company information. That’s why you need the proper permissions in place; otherwise, organizations will risk losing control over who sees what.

The three doors are why an AI Acceptable Use Policy is essential for your workplace.

A robust AI AUP will set clear rules and boundaries for how AI can be used in your workplace, but don't panic: you don't need to have it all figured out right now. An AI policy template is a great foundation upon which to build an AUP that works for your organization (we'll provide one in this article).

Next, we'll go over the key components of an AI Acceptable Use Policy.

Key Components of an AI Acceptable Use Policy

Creating an effective AI Acceptable Use Policy takes time and careful consideration. As you begin to work through your policy, remember to use language that clearly conveys the guidelines and practices you want your team members to follow.

Example of an AI Acceptable Use Policy. Our full AI policy template is available to download for free.

We have included our own AI Policy template at the end of this article for you to use. You can also view and download the template by clicking the image above. There are no forms or popups—just an easy-to-use template that covers the basics. It's a great start for most businesses.

Our AI Policy Template covers these key points your business should consider when working with AI:

Clear Scope and Purpose

Establish a target audience and purpose. Your target audience would be your company's current and prospective team members. Here's where you'd want to address the subject of acceptable use of AI in the workplace and state your position. Will you allow AI in the workplace? AI is typically permitted under specific conditions, or it's prohibited altogether. Be clear and specific when outlining your expectations.

Appropriate Use Guidelines

Here is where you will explicitly state what counts as acceptable and unacceptable use of AI. Clarify under which circumstances AI is permitted and be specific about where it's prohibited. For example, you might allow your team to use AI to draft marketing copy only if a human reviews and edits the content for accuracy and consistency with in-house style. Or perhaps they can use AI-powered tools for basic grammar and spelling assistance only.

Giving AI access to sensitive information is an example of unacceptable use. Again, it's essential to be clear about what is and isn't allowable under your organization's AI Acceptable Use Policy.

AI Tools

In the "Appropriate Use Guidelines" section, you will want to be specific about the AI tools you approve and don't approve for use in the workplace. For example, you may allow ChatGPT, but only if your team is on a paid plan that allows your organization to prevent ChatGPT from using company information to train its model.

Data Handling and Privacy

After determining appropriate use guidelines and acceptable tools, discuss data safeguards. Companies use this section to ensure regulatory compliance and protect their organization's integrity.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII), strategic business plans, and login credentials are examples of information you should insulate from AI technology use. You can also specify whether team members will undergo mandatory training to learn how to protect data before using AI tools.

Monitoring and Enforcement

Describe how the use of AI in the workplace will be observed and what disciplinary actions will be taken should a team member be found in violation of the policy.

Be specific.

Generally, this will read something like, "Violations of this policy will result in progressive disciplinary action, up to and including termination."

How to Implement an AI Acceptable Use Policy

Once the policy is created, it is vital that you do not just hand it to your employees and expect them to read it themselves. Instead, meet with the team, explain why the company is implementing the policy, and give an overview of what it covers.

This will help to ensure understanding, alignment, and adoption of the policy across your organization. Continuous training and communication are critical for the policy to be effective.

People will always find creative ways to use technology. An AI Acceptable Use Policy eliminates ambiguity and clarifies how these tools can—and can't—be used.

Let people ask questions, listen to possible concerns, and provide a channel for reporting policy breaches. Clearing up any misunderstandings early on will reveal potential policy gaps that may need further clarification.

A one-time announcement will not be enough to create lasting awareness. Plan regular follow-ups, such as annual reviews or short video explanations. If you update your policy, that would be a good time to meet again.

Get Started with an AI Policy Template

Our AI Policy template is here to help you start building your own AI Acceptable Use Policy. It is designed to allow customization to fit your organization's needs and directly mirrors key sections of this article.

Use our AI policy template, or search for one on Google. A simple policy is far better than nothing, and you can always update and add to your AI AUP as you go.

Next Steps

By implementing an AI Acceptable Use Policy, you will be better equipped to handle organizational issues related to ethics, data protection, and compliance. Lay down a clear roadmap so your business stays ahead of the game and on track, dodging any avoidable obstacles.

Think of your AI Acceptable Use Policy as a living document that needs to keep up with new advances and product releases (don't forget to have your team acknowledge newly added or updated policies). The sooner you get started, the easier it will be to build a straightforward yet comprehensive AI Acceptable Use Policy.

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Danielle Mundy is the Content Marketing Specialist for Tier 3 Technology. She graduated magna cum laude from Iowa State University, where she worked on the English Department magazine and social media. She creates engaging multichannel marketing content—from social media posts to white papers.