How do we write a clean, simple AI acceptable use policy for our 25-person team so employees know what data they can paste into public models without drafting a 30-page legal document nobody reads?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Keep the policy to a single page and anchor it in operational boundaries rather than technical lectures. Employees do not read thirty-page employee handbook updates. They look for clarity on what will get them fired and what will help them do their jobs faster.

Structure the policy around three non-negotiable rules:

- Zero Customer PII or Financial Data: Never enter customer names, bank details, credit card information, proprietary financial reports, or unannounced company strategies into any public model where data retention is enabled for model training. If a tool has enterprise-grade zero-retention terms signed by company leadership, that tool becomes the designated exception.
- Human-in-the-Loop Sign-Off: AI may draft communications, summarize notes, or analyze numbers, but no client-facing document, formal proposal, or financial calculation goes out the door without a human reviewing and taking direct ownership of the final output. The employee who hits send owns the outcome, regardless of whether AI drafted it.
- Mandatory Tool Transparency: Team members cannot use personal subscriptions or stealth software on corporate machines. Every AI utility used for company business must be logged on an approved company software list.

Review this policy inside your quarterly company meeting or Level 10 Meeting cascade. Frame it around protecting enterprise value. When you sell the company or face a client security audit, buyers and corporate clients will inspect how you manage proprietary data. A tight, enforced one-page policy proves your operations are disciplined and exit ready.