AI Policy Template and Best Practices for Responsible AI Implementation

It seems you can’t read 5 news stories today without at least 1 of them touching on artificial intelligence (AI). As a society, we’re so enamored with this new technology and what it can do that we can’t stop hyping it up. 

• AI Will Make Data Mining As Easy As Clicking a Button
• AI Tools Can Make Cancer Screenings far More Accurate and Efficient
• These Scientists Used An AI Platform To Run 1 Million Simulations To Finally Figure Out the Best Way To Fold a Fitted Bedsheet.

But it’s not all positive. There are plenty of negative AI headlines out there, too. Headlines like:

• AI-Generated Art Will Put All Artists and Musicians out of Work Forever!
• The Hidden Environmental Costs of AI Are Staggering
• Humanity Sends Buff, Austrian Cyborg Back in Time To Save Future Human Resistance Leader in Fight Against Malevolent AI

Like all great technological advancements, there are positives and negatives associated with AI. History tells us, though, there’s no stopping technological and societal advances. It would be silly to fight against the adoption of AI tools. However, rushing to utilize these tools without clear guidelines would be equally foolish. 

While the fate of humanity probably doesn’t rest in the hands of marketers and their chosen AI tools, responsible AI use is still essential. Unfortunately, despite the increasing usage of AI in content marketing, many enterprises still haven’t implemented thorough policies guiding usage or protecting their most valuable assets. This elevates the risk of employees inadvertently impeding business objectives using company data.

Let’s look at some guidelines your organization can follow to implement new rules to create a comprehensive AI policy template.

Why Should You Worry About Generative AI Governance To Begin With?

Will the benefits of a company-wide AI policy template outweigh the hassle of developing such a policy in the first place?

Yes.

An in-house AI governance policy is already important for marketing teams, and clear guidelines will only become more critical as AI advancement continues. Here’s what you can accomplish with an AI policy template:

• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR in the EU, potential future U.S. federal or state laws similar to the CCPA). 
• Protect intellectual property and confidential company information.
• Maintain brand reputation and avoid the spread of misinformation or biased content.
• Promote ethical and responsible AI use.
• Ensure transparency in AI-generated content.
• Define roles and responsibilities related to AI usage.

Clearly, there are many benefits to having in-house ethical standards surrounding AI use. But does every company need an effective AI policy right now? To figure out if your organization requires an AI policy, ask yourself if any of the following apply to your operations:

• Employee use of generative AI tools with sensitive company data.
• Concerns about the accuracy or bias of AI-generated content.
• Lack of clarity on who is responsible for reviewing and approving AI-generated content.
• Potential legal or regulatory implications of using AI in marketing.
• Inconsistent use of AI tools across different teams.

Now That You Know the “Why,” Some Guidelines To Get Your Organization’s Policy Template Off the Ground

Here are some AI policy practices you can employ to guide staff at your organization in their use of AI tools:

• Define clear objectives and scope: What specific aspects of AI usage will the policy cover?
• Establish roles and responsibilities: Who is accountable for different aspects of AI governance?
• Outline acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI tools: Be specific about what employees can and cannot do.
• Address data privacy and security: How should employees handle company data when using AI?
• Emphasize the need for human oversight and review: AI should augment, not replace, human expertise.
• Promote transparency and disclosure: How should your organization identify AI-generated content for clients and the general public?
• Include guidelines on bias and fairness: How can the organization mitigate the risk of biased AI outputs?
• Establish a process for reporting violations and seeking clarification: A formal reporting process helps you respond to violations and potential gray areas efficiently.
• Plan for regular reviews and updates: The policy should be a living document, meaning those responsible for regulating AI operations can augment and change it as necessary.

Remember, you’re drawing up an AI policy for your specific organization, not a regulatory compliance framework that will apply to every business. It’s important to focus on your company’s AI use when drafting a policy template. Here are some building blocks you should consider for your policy, based on your company profile:

• Industry: Highly regulated industries (e.g., finance, healthcare) have stricter AI requirements.
• Company size and structure: Larger organizations might need more complex policies.
• The extent to which your organization already uses AI: Policies should address current and anticipated future use cases.
• Risk tolerance: Organizations with a lower risk tolerance — perhaps because they handle sensitive information or have heightened cybersecurity risks — might implement more stringent rules.

All the above items provide great guidance for how to think about your AI policy. But what should you do when it comes time to actually create the policy? Here are some steps you can follow:

• Form a cross-functional team: Include representatives from legal, IT, marketing and HR.
• Conduct a risk assessment: Identify potential risks associated with AI use.
• Draft the policy: Base your policy on best practices and the risk assessment.
• Seek legal review: Ensure the policy complies with relevant laws and regulations.
• Communicate the policy clearly to all employees: Provide training and resources.
• Implement monitoring and enforcement mechanisms: Monitor how staff follow (or don’t follow) the policy so you can gauge its effectiveness. 
• Establish a process for feedback and updates: Expect your policy to change over time, and draft steps to implement necessary updates and tweaks.

How Can You Ensure Your Initial Risk Assessment Covers Next Week’s Hot AI Tool?

The pace of change regarding technology is awe-inspiring and frightening. This is perhaps most evident in AI. Just look back at the conversations around AI 5 years ago — and what AI could do and not do back then — compared to today. Its rapid evolution is staggering. This means, no matter how comprehensive your current AI policy is, you can’t expect that it will cover everything AI tools can do in 5 years, or maybe even 1 year from now. 

The risk assessment is a keystone of a good AI policy, but the risks will change as AI does. So, what can you do to future-proof your company’s initial risk assessment? Here are some tips you can follow to put your organization in the best position for future success:

• Emphasize a principle-based approach: Instead of focusing on specific tools, focus on underlying principles, such as data privacy, accuracy and transparency.
• Establish a regular review process: Schedule periodic reviews of the policy and risk assessment to account for new technologies.
• Create a framework for evaluating new AI tools: Define criteria for assessing the risks and benefits of adopting new AI. This could include factors like data security, potential for bias and compliance with existing policies.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and adaptation: Encourage employees to stay informed about new AI developments and potential risks.
• Consider using a risk assessment matrix: This can help categorize and prioritize potential risks associated with different AI tools.

So, You Understand the Need for Human Supervision, but What Steps Are Necessary To Put an AI Policy in Place?

At this point, you’ve done your initial risk assessment, you’ve got your AI policy and you have an idea for how to adapt to future developments in AI technology. What next? Oh yeah, you have to actually implement your policy.

To paraphrase the great Scottish poet Robert Plans, the best laid AI policy plans of mice and men oft go awry when businesses don’t implement them thoughtfully and transparently. Here are some steps you can take to put your company’s AI policy in place successfully:

• Define clear roles and responsibilities for human oversight: Who will be responsible for checking AI-generated content?
• Provide training on reviewing AI outputs: Focus on identifying potential errors, biases and inaccuracies.
• Establish workflows for the review and approval process: How will staff submit, review and approve AI-generated content?
• Implement quality control measures: Track the accuracy and effectiveness of AI-generated content and the review process.
• Encourage feedback loops: Create a system for human reviewers to provide feedback on the performance of AI tools and the policy itself.
• Consider using AI-powered tools to assist with human review: Some AI tools can help identify potential issues in AI-generated content.

Now you know all you need to know about how to govern and implement AI-driven content. Right? 

Well, you certainly know how to create a strong AI policy, but perhaps the most important takeaway is that AI tools will continue to evolve, and marketing will evolve with it. So be brave, be prudent and don’t hesitate to work with those at the forefront of effective and responsible AI use in marketing.