Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be one of the biggest technological trends of 2025, and businesses have begun integrating AI tools into the workplace. If you’re planning to introduce AI tools into your business, it’s crucial to establish a clear AI Acceptable Use Policy to minimize risk while utilizing AI effectively and responsibly.

Why Your Company Needs an AI Acceptable Use Policy

AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, and DeepSeek are showing up more and more in our day-to-day work. They help boost productivity, but without clear guidelines, employees can compromise the company’s data and raise other issues such as:

• Data Privacy Concerns: Employees uploading sensitive company or client information into third-party AI platforms, risking data breaches.
• Intellectual Property Violations: Using AI-generated content without checking for copyright issues.
• Compliance Risks: Sharing protected customer data with AI tools can violate privacy policies and regulations.
• Misinformation: AI isn’t always right, so if you don’t fact-check and share it with others, it can harm your credibility.
• Ethical Boundaries: AI tools can generate media with unauthorized voices or pictures, raising ethical concerns.

Form an AI Committee:

Before writing any policy, I recommend assembling an AI committee that includes employee experts in cybersecurity, IT, legal, HR, and communications. Cybersecurity and IT can help ensure AI tools don’t compromise your data or systems. Legal can weigh in on privacy and intellectual property issues. Human resources can help with training and policy rollout. Communications can handle internal communication about the new changes and why.

What Should Your AI Acceptable Use Policy Cover?

Here are a few key areas to consider:

• Data Protection: Be clear about what kind of data is allowed in AI tools and what AI systems are allowed to be used. Sensitive customer information, company data, and confidential documents should never be uploaded. This helps avoid data leaks and compliance violations. I recommend implementing Data Loss Prevention tools to monitor and restrict the flow of sensitive data to unauthorized AI platforms.
• Copyright and Trademark Laws: Provide basic training on intellectual property laws because AI platforms can generate copyrighted material. Unauthorized usage can lead to legal issues and tarnish your company’s reputation.
•  Accurate and Use Cases: Remind employees that AI-generated information should always be reviewed and verified before sharing it. AI should help you and your team brainstorm, summarize, or draft ideas. We recommend restricting usage in sensitive areas like legal and healthcare.
• Ethics and Core Values: Your policy should reflect your company’s values and define what ethical AI use looks like. It is a powerful tool that can manipulate images or an individual’s voice, so make sure your employees know what practices aren’t allowed.
• Compliance Reviews: Keep your policy updated. Regularly check in on changing AI tools, laws, and threats so your business stays protected and compliant.
• Training and Awareness: Create videos explaining the company’s AI usage policy and ongoing changes. AI will keep evolving as well as the risks, so it’s important to keep your staff informed.

AI integration can be overwhelming, but with the right policies and training, your team can use it responsibly and effectively.

Need help putting together your company’s AI usage policy? DDKinfotech can walk you through the process and help make sure your business stays compliant and secure. Reach out to us today to prepare your business for AI integration, the right way.