AI Governance
Most AI usage policies fail because they are written as prohibitions. "Do not use AI for X. Do not share Y with AI tools." A list of don'ts with no context for why, written by someone who does not know how the work actually gets done, will be ignored. A policy that gets followed tells people what they can do and why the boundaries exist.
Start with what you are trying to protect
Before writing a word of the policy, identify the two or three things that would cause real harm if they reached an AI tool without controls. Customer personal data. Proprietary pricing models. Unreleased product information. Employee records. These are your policy anchors. Every rule in the policy traces back to protecting one of these.
The three-part structure that works
Approved uses — specific, affirmative. "You may use AI tools to draft internal communications, summarize meeting notes, and generate code for internal tools. These uses are approved without additional review."
Restricted uses — uses that require review before action. "AI-generated content intended for customer communications must be reviewed by [role] before sending."
Prohibited uses — uses with no exceptions. "Customer personal data (names, emails, payment information) must not be entered into any AI tool not covered by our data processing agreements."
The ownership question
Every AI tool in use at your business should have a named owner — a person responsible for monitoring its use, keeping the vendor agreement current, and flagging changes that might affect the policy. Without named ownership, policy enforcement is no one's job.
How to introduce it without backlash
Present the policy as a protection, not a restriction. Show the team the inventory of tools already in use. Explain the specific risks the policy addresses. Ask for feedback before finalizing — the people doing the work will tell you what you missed and will be more likely to follow rules they helped shape.
The AI Readiness Workflow produces a structured AI Readiness Readout that gives you the foundation your usage policy needs.