AI at Work: A One-Page AI Governance Plan for a 5 to 50 Person Office
If you run a small office, you probably have an AI policy already. You just have not written it down. Someone on your team pastes a client spreadsheet into a free chatbot on a personal login. Someone else pays for an AI note-taker on a company card and records every client call. A draft email with a made-up deadline goes out because nobody read it closely. None of it is malicious. People are…
Running a small office often leads to the unintentional use of AI tools, which can occur in private with unapproved settings. Instead of banning AI, a concise set of rules can ensure safe usage. This one-page AI governance plan covers key aspects such as data rules, approved tools, admin settings, policy, guardrails, human review, and incident plans.
Firstly, data rules are essential. Public data includes information already present on the company's website or general questions. Internal data consists of drafts and process documents, while confidential data refers to sensitive information like passwords or client data. Never share confidential data without examination.
Next, approved tools should be simple and easy to use. Choose one primary AI assistant and set up guidelines for all other tools. The approved tools list should include the tool, plan, usage restrictions, a designated owner, and a review date. Before adopting new tools, inquire about vendor data handling, retention, and sharing controls.
Admin settings must be checked on the first day of use. Disable features that allow vendors to train models on your data, avoid shared links and memory, and verify account ownership.
Craft a concise, one-page policy that emphasizes approved tools, a list of forbidden data, acceptable uses, and settings. Include a rule requiring a person to review AI-generated outputs before sharing them with clients, vendors, or the public. Designate an owner for the policy with a review date and a no-blame policy for mistakes to facilitate prompt resolution.
Finally, establish an incident plan to address potential breaches. The plan should include stopping the activity, recording details, containing the error, deciding on notifications to relevant parties, and fixing the underlying issue. Regularly review the policy, tools, settings, and incident records to keep the guidelines updated.
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