How to Set Basic AI Rules for Your Team

Start with a single page that explains what is allowed and what is off-limits. A good policy should be direct: 'Use AI for first drafts, brainstorming, and summarising notes. Do not use AI for final decisions on payments, hiring, or legal advice.' This provides straightforward guidance without adding unnecessary bureaucracy. Make sure to specify which tools are 'Approved.' In a small team, it is better to have everyone using one or two secure, business-grade tools than a dozen different free apps with varying privacy standards. This ensures that the business maintains control over its information and can share useful prompts across the whole team.

The most important rule for any team is that every AI output must have a human owner. If a customer receives an email with an error, the person who 'sent' it is responsible, not the AI. This keeps quality and care exactly where they belong—with your people. AI should raise the 'floor' of what your team can achieve, but it shouldn't lower the ceiling of their responsibility. Encourage the team to share their 'Wins' and 'Fails.' When someone finds a prompt that saves them an hour of work, that knowledge should be captured and shared. This turns AI from a private shortcut into a collective business asset. It also makes it easier to spot when someone might be leaning too heavily on a tool at the expense of quality.

Create a short list of 'High-Risk Tasks'—like financial forecasting, legal review, or sending sensitive client data. Tell your team that any use of AI in these specific areas must be discussed with you first. This prevents people from 'winging it' on tasks where mistakes are expensive and ensures that your most sensitive business logic remains under direct senior oversight.