What’s in the template
- Purpose, scope, and roles
- Defines who owns AI governance, what the policy covers, and which teams must follow it — so legal and IT can sign off without rewriting from scratch.
- Data classification rules
- Clear guidance on what employees can and cannot put into AI tools, mapped to your data sensitivity tiers.
- Tool intake and incident reporting
- Process for requesting new AI tools and reporting misuse — the sections auditors expect when shadow AI becomes an incident.
What to include in an AI use policy template
A credible AI use policy goes beyond acceptable-use boilerplate. Include purpose and scope, named roles, approved-tool rules, data classification, tool intake workflow, and incident reporting. This free AI use policy template gives mid-market IT and compliance teams a Word document starting point they can customize — not a one-page addendum nobody reads.
How to roll out an AI acceptable use policy
Draft the policy with legal and HR, assign an executive owner, and require acknowledgment before broad AI tool access. Pair the policy with a living tool inventory so data-handling rules map to real products. Read our AI use policy guide for section-by-section guidance.
Policy plus inventory: the minimum viable governance stack
Policy without inventory is unenforceable; inventory without policy is just a spreadsheet. Start with this template, then inventory shadow AI with our free tool register template. When you outgrow both, InfoDefenders connects policy, register, and audit evidence in one platform.
FAQ
Common questions
- What is an AI use policy template?
- An AI use policy template is a pre-structured document covering acceptable AI use, data rules, roles, tool intake, and incident reporting. Teams customize placeholders for their organization instead of drafting from a blank page.
- Is this a legal document?
- No. This is a practical starting template for IT and compliance teams. Have legal and HR review and adapt it to your jurisdiction, contracts, and industry requirements before publishing.
- What format is the template?
- You receive a Word document (.docx) download link by email. Open it in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, replace bracketed placeholders, and route for sign-off.
- Who should approve an AI use policy?
- Typically legal, HR, IT/security, and an executive sponsor. The template includes a roles section to assign owners before you publish.
- Is the AI use policy template free?
- Yes. Enter your work email and we send the download link. No credit card required.
Not sure where to start? Take the free RAGP maturity assessment first.
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