AI Policy in the Workplace

It’s important to set guardrails and train employees on safe practices when implementing AI in the workplace. Here are some key thoughts and ideas for creating your own AI policy.

Practical AI Policy for Small & Mid-Sized Businesses

Your AI policy should be a simple set of guardrails that unlocks innovation while managing risk. Spell out what tools are allowed, how you protect data, who approves usage, and how you review outcomes. Keep it clear, train your team, and plan to update it as tech and rules evolve. Bottom line: build trust, reduce risk, and move faster—without the chaos.

What to Include

  • Scope & Purpose: Which AI tools and teams are covered; when policy applies (internal, vendor, customer-facing).
  • Data Use & Privacy: What data is permitted, storage/retention rules, external sharing, and legal compliance (e.g., GDPR/CCPA/HIPAA where applicable).
  • Transparency & Explainability: When to disclose AI use; how decisions are validated and can be challenged.
  • Accountability & Roles: Approvers, owners, reviewers; escalation paths for issues and high-risk use cases.
  • Security & Risk: Access controls, vendor due diligence, testing/monitoring for harmful or erroneous outputs.
  • Ethics, Bias & Fairness: Steps to detect/mitigate bias; prohibited data/uses; human-in-the-loop where needed.
  • Usage Rules: Allowed vs. prohibited scenarios (no impersonation, IP misuse, or sensitive data leakage).
  • Monitoring & Updates: Review cadence (e.g., quarterly) and change management as tools/regulations shift.
  • Training & Awareness: Onboarding, refreshers, and a simple “how to ask for help” process.

Helpful Tools & Resources

Use these to shape your content and quickly draft a policy. (All are free to access or try.)

NIST AI RMF Playbook

Actionable checklists and suggested practices across Govern, Map, Measure, Manage—great backbone for SMB policies.

  • Authoritative, vendor-neutral guidance
  • Helps prioritize risks and controls
  • Easy to translate into policy sections

OECD AI Principles

Widely adopted principles for trustworthy AI—useful for your policy’s values, transparency, and accountability language.

  • Global, consensus-based baseline
  • Clear, non-technical framing for teams
  • Supports external stakeholder trust

AIHR – Free AI Policy Template

A customizable AI policy template you can adapt in minutes—great starter draft for SMBs.

  • Fast jump-start with editable sections
  • Maps well to real-world HR & business use
  • Easy to iterate as governance matures

 

AI Energy Drink

This page content is an extension of the "AI Energy Drink" resource - an easy-to-read starting point to help your business team learn and adopt powerful AI habits.

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