Does Your Company Need an AI Policy?

Written by Dan St. Hilaire | January 6, 2026

AI is showing up in more parts of our work than most people expected, and it is happening fast. Some tools are built right into the systems we already use, while others show up through individuals and teams experimenting on their own. With all this change, many organizations are wondering if they actually need a formal AI policy. The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that a policy does not have to be complicated, but it does need to be put into place.

The goal of an AI policy is not (necessarily) to slow anyone down. It is meant to give people clarity about what is allowed, what is expected, and where the limits are. Every company has different needs, so there is no single template that works for everyone. A healthcare provider will care most about patient data and risk. A small marketing agency might be more focused on how client content is handled. A school might worry about student privacy and learning outcomes. The point is that the policy should match your organization and your goals.

Here are a few examples of what a company might include:

What tools are approved
List the AI tools employees can use for work. This helps avoid exposure to unsafe platforms that might store or reuse company information.
How to handle confidential information
Make it clear that sensitive data should not be entered into public AI tools. This includes identifying details, internal financials, or proprietary content.
Guidelines for accuracy checks
AI can help draft content, summarize notes, or build ideas, but humans still need to review the final result. A policy can set expectations for what must be checked before something is acceptable.
Rules about copyright and ownership
Explain who owns the work created with AI and how employees should handle content generation to avoid copying or misusing someone else's material.
Security and compliance expectations
Outline whether IT needs to approve new tools, how data is stored, and what steps employees should take if they think a tool behaved in an unexpected way.
AI training availability
Employees should complete AI training before using AI tools for work, with additional role-specific training as needed. Ensure they understand your policy and how to be successful using AI at work.
Fair use and ethical considerations
This can include guidelines that prevent employees from using AI to impersonate others, create misleading content, or automate decisions that require a human review.

Having a policy in place gives people confidence. It reduces the chance that someone accidentally shares private information. It also protects the company if clients or regulators ask how AI is being used. A good policy sets clear boundaries while still leaving room for creativity and experimentation. Most of all, it makes sure everyone is on the same page while the technology continues to evolve.

AI is new, and no policy will be perfect on day one. Still, putting a policy in place now creates structure that you can adjust over time. It is easier to update a living document than to start from scratch in the middle of a problem. If your organization has not created an AI policy yet, now is a good time to begin.

This is a short video we created that shares some real world examples of potential consequences without having AI guidelines in place.

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