Someone on your team has probably used AI for work this week, whether you officially allow it or not.
Maybe they asked ChatGPT to improve an email. Maybe they used Microsoft Copilot to summarize information, allowed an AI note-taking tool to join a meeting, installed an AI-powered browser extension or uploaded a document to an AI platform to save time.
Most employees are not trying to create a security problem. They are trying to work more efficiently.
But there is an important question every business needs to answer:
What company information is being shared with those AI tools, and does your IT policy address it?
AI is now part of the workplace technology conversation. Businesses do not necessarily need to prohibit it. They do, however, need to understand how employees are using it and establish reasonable boundaries around what is and is not acceptable.
Businesses have spent years establishing rules around passwords, email, cloud storage, mobile devices, remote work and access to company systems.
AI adoption has moved much faster.
Employees can access a growing number of AI-powered tools with little more than a web browser or personal account. That makes it easy for AI to enter the workplace before leadership or IT has formally decided how it should be used.
Consider a few common examples:
Each action may seem harmless on its own. The concern is what information is being entered, uploaded, recorded, processed or made accessible to a third-party platform.
Customer information, employee records, contracts, financial data, intellectual property, credentials, confidential communications and other sensitive information should not be shared casually with an AI tool.
For many organizations, attempting to prohibit AI completely will not address the underlying issue.
Employees are interested in these tools because they can be useful. AI can help draft content, summarize information, organize ideas, analyze documents and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.
A policy that simply says “do not use AI,” without explaining the risks or providing approved alternatives, may encourage employees to use the tools quietly instead.
A more practical approach is to decide how AI can be used responsibly within the organization.
That requires several clear decisions.
Employees should not have to guess whether an AI tool is acceptable.
Your organization should establish which AI platforms employees may use for work, whether they must use company-managed accounts and which use cases require additional approval.
IT should be involved in evaluating AI tools, especially when they connect to email, browsers, cloud storage, calendars, collaboration platforms or other company systems.
That evaluation should consider more than whether the AI produces useful results. The organization should understand:
The goal is not to approve every AI product that appears. It is to give employees a manageable list of tools they can use with confidence.
This may be the most important part of an AI use policy.
Employees need clear examples of information they should not enter into an unapproved AI platform.
Depending on the organization, that may include:
Customer and client information: Names, contact details, account information, communications, records or other information entrusted to the business.
Confidential business information: Financial reports, pricing information, contracts, internal strategies, proprietary processes, product plans or intellectual property.
Employee information: Payroll details, HR records, performance information, personal information or other sensitive personnel data.
Credentials and security information: Passwords, access tokens, API keys, network details, system configurations or other information that could expose company systems.
Regulated or contractually protected information: Data that the business is required to handle in a specific way because of industry requirements, customer agreements or other obligations.
“Do not put sensitive information into AI” is easy to say. Employees also need to understand what sensitive information means in their day-to-day work.
An AI policy should explain not only what employees cannot do, but also what they can do.
For example, a business may permit employees to use an approved tool to brainstorm general ideas, improve nonconfidential writing or summarize public information.
Other activities may require review or approval, especially when AI-generated content will be used in:
Employees should also understand that AI-generated output still requires human review.
AI can produce information that is incomplete, inaccurate or inappropriate for the situation. The employee using the tool remains responsible for checking the result before relying on it or sharing it with someone else.
AI note-taking tools deserve particular attention because they can quickly become part of everyday meetings.
Automatically transcribing a meeting and generating action items can be convenient. But consider the information discussed during a typical call:
A meeting transcript can turn a temporary conversation into a detailed written record stored and processed by another platform.
Businesses should establish expectations for:
AI-generated meeting notes should be treated as company information, not as an informal convenience outside normal business policies.
AI risk is not limited to the major platforms employees recognize.
New browser extensions, writing assistants, transcription services and productivity applications appear constantly. Employees can often install or authorize them without involving IT.
A browser extension may request permission to read or interact with information displayed on webpages. Another tool may request access to email, documents, cloud storage or a company calendar.
Before approving a tool, the organization should understand what access it requires and whether that access is appropriate.
This is one reason businesses should address shadow AI: AI tools being used for work without formal approval, management visibility or IT oversight.
A policy sitting in an employee handbook will not solve the problem by itself.
Employees need to understand why the rules exist and how to apply them during a normal workday.
Training does not need to turn every employee into an AI or cybersecurity expert. It should help people pause and ask a few practical questions.
Before pasting information into an AI platform, ask:
Would I be comfortable sending this information to an outside company?
Before installing an AI extension, ask:
What information and systems am I allowing this tool to access?
Before uploading a document, ask:
Does this contain customer, employee, financial, confidential or proprietary information?
Before using AI-generated output, ask:
Have I reviewed this for accuracy, appropriateness and confidential information?
Employees should also know who to contact when they are unsure.
A good policy creates a clear path for questions instead of expecting employees to make technical and security decisions on their own.
AI is not only an HR or management policy issue. It is also a technology governance issue.
IT can help evaluate tools before they become embedded in everyday workflows. That evaluation may include reviewing permissions, integrations, account controls, data handling practices, and the systems an application can access.
IT can also help leadership answer a question many organizations have not considered:
What AI tools are employees already using?
It is difficult to establish meaningful guidelines around technology the organization does not know exists.
Businesses do not need to chase every new AI application that enters the market. They do need a repeatable process for evaluating new tools and a clear process employees can follow when they want to use one.
If your company does not have an AI acceptable-use policy, start by answering five questions:
You do not need to predict everything AI will become.
You need practical rules for how your organization is using it today and a process for evaluating what comes next.
For many businesses, the question is no longer whether employees will use AI.
They already are.
The opportunity is to make that use intentional.
Clear policies, approved tools, employee education and IT involvement can help an organization benefit from AI while maintaining appropriate control over company information and technology.
PCS can help your organization bring IT into the AI conversation by reviewing tools, integrations, permissions and the practical technology controls that support responsible use.
If AI tools have started appearing across your organization and leadership is not sure what employees are using or what information those tools can access, it may be time to make AI part of your IT strategy.
An AI acceptable-use policy explains how employees may use artificial intelligence tools for work. It can identify approved platforms, prohibited information, acceptable use cases, review requirements, approval responsibilities and what employees should do when they are unsure whether a particular use is appropriate.
That decision depends on the organization, the information it handles and how employees intend to use the tools. Rather than leaving the decision to individual employees, businesses should identify approved tools and explain which information and activities are permitted.
Employees should not enter confidential, sensitive, regulated or proprietary information into unapproved AI platforms. This may include customer information, employee records, financial data, contracts, intellectual property, passwords, access tokens, system configurations and internal business communications.
Shadow AI refers to employees using AI tools for business purposes without formal approval or visibility from the organization’s IT team. Examples may include unapproved chatbots, meeting assistants, browser extensions, writing tools and transcription platforms.
AI tools may connect to company email, cloud storage, browsers, calendars, documents and other systems. IT can evaluate the access a tool requires, review available administrative controls, manage integrations and help determine whether the platform fits the organization’s existing technology and security practices.
Their appropriateness depends on the tool, the information discussed and the organization’s policies. Businesses should review how meeting data is processed, where transcripts are stored, who can access them and whether employees and meeting participants are properly informed.
Start by identifying how employees currently use AI. Then establish approved tools, define information that cannot be shared, create a process for reviewing new applications and educate employees about responsible use. The policy should be updated as the organization’s technology and AI use change.