The ten-line AI use policy

A policy nobody reads is not a control. For a small organisation, a short policy that everyone understands beats a long one that sits in a folder. Here is a ten-line starting point. Adapt it to how you work.

1. We use AI tools to save time, never to replace judgement.
2. Only tools on our approved list may be used for work.
3. No personal, donor, client or financial data goes into AI tools unless the tool is approved for that purpose.
4. Anything produced with AI is checked by a person before it is shared or relied on.
5. We are open about using AI when it matters to the people we work with.
6. AI is not used to make decisions about individuals without human review.
7. Accounts for AI tools use work email addresses, not personal ones.
8. Mistakes are reported straight away to [named person], without blame.
9. [Named person] owns this policy and the approved tools list.
10. We review this policy every year, or sooner if something changes.

Making it stick

Share it in a team meeting, add it to induction for staff, trustees and volunteers, and put the approved tools list somewhere everyone can find it.

If you would like a fuller version with guidance notes, the AI Use Policy Template is built for exactly this. And if you want a second pair of eyes on how AI is being used across your organisation, a Health Check is the place to start.