A practical AI use policy for a small business
Set usable rules for AI at work. Start with approved tools, information limits, human review and a person staff can ask.
Read the short answer
The short answer
A small business AI policy should explain which tools staff may use, what information they may enter and who checks the output. Begin with the tasks people already do and make the rules specific enough to apply.
Ask about actual use
Find out which tools people use and what they use them for. Record whether they sign in through a business or personal account and whether they connect files or other services. A policy based only on hypothetical use may miss the current situation.
Explain the purpose of the review. Staff are more likely to describe a useful workflow when the conversation focuses on understanding it.
Define approved tools and data
Name the approved products and account types. Explain which information can be used and which needs approval or must stay out. Customer records, credentials and confidential commercial information deserve explicit treatment.
Tool settings and provider terms need to be reviewed for the actual account. Do not assume that a personal account has the same controls as a business subscription.
Decide how output is checked
A generated summary should be checked against the source. A customer message needs someone responsible for its accuracy and tone. A workflow acting on a live system needs controls appropriate to that action.
A useful policy names the reviewer and the point where approval is required. Telling staff to use judgement without explaining the task leaves too much uncertain.
Make problems reportable
Give staff a person or route to ask about a new use case or report a mistake. Record what should happen if sensitive information is entered into an unapproved tool. The process may need privacy, legal or security advice depending on the situation.
Avoid encouraging people to hide an error. Early reporting makes it easier to understand the exposure and next step.
Keep the policy connected to the environment
Account access, file permissions and staff training support the policy. Review it when a new product, connected data source or automated action is introduced. Give it an owner and review date.
Operational AI governance is different from legal advice. Where obligations or contracts are involved, use the appropriate adviser. Specialist AI adoption and governance work can be discussed with VibeZero.
What does a usable rule look like?
A bookkeeper asking an approved tool to rewrite a generic reminder email is different from uploading a customer's financial records. Write the policy around those tasks and the information involved. Staff need to know which tool and account are approved, what they may enter and who reviews the output.
For a customer message, keep a person responsible for factual accuracy and the decision to send it. For a proposed automation, separately approve any permission to change records or trigger an action. Permission to draft text should not silently become permission to act for the business.
How do you introduce the policy?
Walk through ordinary examples with the people who will use it. Ask them to identify the approved route for a new use case and the response to a mistake. Keep the policy somewhere staff can reach, and give it a named owner.
The Australian Government's Guidance for AI Adoption provides a broader framework for responsible adoption. Use it alongside the business requirements and product settings. A signed document is only useful when the approved accounts, access and day to day practice support its rules.
Sources and further reading
These links take you to the publisher's guidance. Product details and requirements can change, so check the current source before making a change.
Content reviewed on 7 October 2026. This guide is a starting point. The scope of a support job depends on your systems, access and business requirements.