Our team is using public AI models to quickly summarize proprietary client project briefs and contracts, but we have no safety guardrails. How do we establish a clear, non-negotiable policy that stops the team from leaking intellectual property without killing their efficiency?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You need a clear, functional policy that protects your proprietary data without creating a bottleneck of red tape. The goal is to keep your operational data safe while allowing your team to remain highly efficient. Start by dividing your tools into approved closed systems and restricted open systems. A closed system is an enterprise-grade AI tool with data privacy settings enabled, meaning the data you enter is not used to train public models. An open system is a free, public interface that saves and utilizes your inputs. Your policy should dictate that no client contracts, proprietary code, financial statements, or personal identifiable information can ever be entered into an open system. If employees want to summarize a client brief, they must use your company's designated closed enterprise tool. Keep the policy to one page. It should focus on three clear rules:

- Only upload sensitive company or client data into preapproved, closed enterprise systems.
- Always verify the accuracy of AI outputs before sharing them with clients or using them in decision-making.
- Disclose to your manager any new AI tools you want to test before signing up.

This keeps your team moving fast while protecting your assets. Add this policy to your employee handbook and review it quarterly to ensure it aligns with your tech stack.