Policy & Governance
AI Policy
A formal document defining an organization's rules, guidelines, and expectations for AI tool usage.
An AI policy (sometimes called an AI acceptable use policy) is an organizational document that establishes the rules governing how employees can use AI tools. A comprehensive AI policy typically covers:
- Which AI tools are approved, restricted, or prohibited
- What types of data can and cannot be shared with AI tools
- Who can approve new AI tools and through what process
- Requirements for employee training on AI risks
- Guidelines for AI use in specific contexts (customer communications, code generation, data analysis)
- Consequences for policy violations
- How the policy is reviewed and updated
The best AI policies are living documents that evolve as the organization's AI landscape changes — not static PDFs that become outdated within months.
Why it matters
A policy without enforcement is just a suggestion. Effective AI policies are backed by technical controls (blocking unapproved tools, DLP for AI services) and operational processes (request workflows, review cadences).