AI Acceptable Use Policy

Purpose: This policy establishes requirements for the acceptable use of artificial intelligence systems and tools within [ORGANIZATION NAME]. It applies to all employees, contractors, and third parties who develop, deploy, or interact with AI systems.

Scope: All AI technologies including large language models (LLMs), machine learning models, AI-powered code generation tools, automated decision systems, and AI agent architectures used in any capacity — whether developed internally, procured from vendors, or accessed via API.

Effective Date: [DATE]

Policy Owner: [ROLE TITLE], [DEPARTMENT]

Review Cycle: Annual or triggered by significant AI incident

Pre-Approved (Low Risk)

• Code generation assistance with mandatory human review before commit
• Content drafting for internal communications (not customer-facing)
• Data analysis and visualization on non-regulated datasets
• Internal knowledge base search and summarization
• Test case generation and code documentation

Requires Manager Approval (Medium Risk)

• Customer-facing content generation with editorial review
• AI-assisted data analysis on datasets containing PII
• Automated report generation for compliance purposes
• AI-powered monitoring and alerting systems

Requires Executive Approval (High Risk)

• Automated decision-making affecting individuals (hiring, credit, access)
• Processing of regulated data (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR-covered)
• Customer-facing AI chatbots or virtual agents
• AI systems integrated into critical infrastructure

The following activities are strictly prohibited without exception:

• Submitting proprietary source code, trade secrets, or confidential business data to public AI services
• Using AI to generate or distribute misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive content
• Bypassing security controls, access restrictions, or content filters on AI systems
• Using AI outputs as final decisions without human review in any regulated domain
• Sharing API keys, credentials, or authentication tokens with AI systems not approved by security
• Training or fine-tuning models on customer data without explicit data processing agreements
• Deploying AI models to production without completing the deployment readiness checklist
• Using AI to perform surveillance on employees or customers without legal authorization

Data Classification Rules

• Public Data: May be used with any approved AI tool
• Internal Data: May be used with approved enterprise AI tools only (not public/consumer tools)
• Confidential Data: Requires approved enterprise AI tools with data processing agreements; no data retention by vendor
• Restricted Data: May NOT be processed by any AI system without explicit CISO and Legal approval

Data Minimization

All AI interactions must follow the principle of data minimization — only include the minimum data necessary for the task. Strip PII, credentials, and sensitive identifiers before submitting prompts.

Logging & Retention

All AI interactions involving Internal or higher classification data must be logged. Logs must be retained for [12/24/36] months per the organization's data retention policy.

New AI Tool Request Process

1. Requestor submits AI Tool Request Form with use case description, data classification, and risk assessment
2. IT Security reviews tool for security posture, data handling, and vendor risk (5 business days)
3. Legal/Privacy reviews terms of service, data processing agreement, and regulatory compliance (5 business days)
4. Approval Authority makes decision based on risk tier:

- Low Risk: IT Security approval sufficient

- Medium Risk: IT Security + Department Head

- High Risk: IT Security + Legal + Executive Sponsor

1. Approved tools are added to the AI Tool Registry with usage conditions

Exception Process

Exceptions to this policy must be requested in writing, approved by the CISO and relevant business unit head, and documented with compensating controls. Exceptions expire after 90 days and must be renewed.

Required Training

• All employees: Annual AI Awareness Training (30 minutes) covering this policy, data handling, and responsible AI use
• Developers/Engineers: AI Security Training (2 hours) covering prompt injection, secure coding with AI, and code review requirements
• Managers: AI Risk Management Training (1 hour) covering approval workflows, incident reporting, and team oversight

Acknowledgment

All personnel must sign an acknowledgment of this policy upon hire and annually thereafter. Acknowledgments are tracked in [HR SYSTEM] and reported quarterly to the AI Governance Committee.

Compliance Target

Training completion rate must exceed 90% for all target audiences within 30 days of the annual training cycle.

Violation Categories

• Minor: Unintentional use of unapproved AI tool with no data exposure — verbal warning, mandatory retraining
• Moderate: Use of AI with confidential data in unapproved tool, failure to follow approval process — written warning, access restrictions
• Severe: Deliberate bypass of security controls, exposure of restricted data, use of AI for prohibited purposes — suspension of AI access, disciplinary action up to termination

Reporting

All suspected violations must be reported to [SECURITY EMAIL] within 24 hours. Anonymous reporting is available through [REPORTING CHANNEL].

Investigation

The AI Governance Committee will investigate all reported violations within 5 business days and document findings, corrective actions, and preventive measures.