What is a company policy for AI?
A company policy for AI (artificial intelligence) is a document that outlines a company’s rules, practices and ethical guidelines relevant to the development, deployment, and use of AI technologies. The aim of an AI policy is to ensure that AI tools are used responsibly, ethically, and effectively to achieve the company’s objectives.
Your AI policy should be tailored to your company’s needs, values and mission while promoting responsible and ethical AI practices. It is a living document and should be updated to align with evolving AI technology, law and ethical considerations.
What should an AI policy include?
Here’s a list of suggested sections an AI policy should include:
- Introduction: why the policy is essential and what it aims to achieve.
- Objectives and Purpose: the objectives the organization seeks to achieve by using AI.
- Ethical Principles: the principles that guide AI development and use, such as fairness, transparency, accountability, and non-discrimination.
- Data Usage and Governance: how data is collected, stored, processed, and protected in AI applications.
- Transparency: how AI usage will be disclosed to stakeholders, including during decision-making processes, and how AI systems will be documented and shared internally and externally.
- Accountability: who is responsible for AI development, oversight, decision-making and their outcomes.
- Fairness and Bias Mitigation: how the corporation will identify potential bias and discrimination in AI algorithms and mitigate the impact to ensure equitable outcomes.
- Privacy and Security: how personal data is handled in AI systems and the security measures in place to protect against data breaches and cyber threats and comply with privacy laws.
- Regulatory Compliance: how the company will comply with relevant laws and regulations that govern AI use in the company's sector or jurisdiction.
- Environmental and Social Considerations: consider the environmental and social implications of AI technologies and how your company will address theme.
- Human Oversight: ensure AI systems are subject to human oversight, especially in critical decision-making processes.
- Risk Management: identify and manage risks associated with AI technologies, including those related to safety, ethics, and security, and how those risks will be mitigated.
- Research and Development: encourage responsible AI research and development and promote best practices.
- Employee Education and Training: invest in AI education to raise awareness and understanding of AI technologies and ethical considerations among employees.
- Collaboration: promote collaboration with external stakeholders, (e.g. academia, and government bodies), to share knowledge and resources related to AI.
- Accessibility: commit to making AI technologies accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities.
- Procurement Guidelines: outline criteria for purchasing AI products or services, including vendor selection and contract terms.
- Public Engagement: get input and feedback from the public and stakeholders on AI policies and decisions that impact them.
- Continuous Evaluation: regularly assess the impact of AI systems and update policies to address new challenges and ethical concerns.
- Reporting Mechanisms: confirm channels for employees and the public to report AI-related concerns and incidents.
- Compliance Audits: conduct audits to ensure compliance with AI policies and regulatory requirements.
- Crisis Response: plan for how to address AI-related incidents, like algorithmic failures or data breaches.
Your organization’s AI policy should be customized to its specific needs, industry, and technologies. Include these essential elements in your AI policy to foster responsible AI development and usage.
What is an example of a generative AI policy?
Check out our generative AI policy example below. It is based on a company specializing in AI-driven content creation, like text, images, or music. The purpose of the policy is to guide the responsible creation and use of generative AI models.
Generative AI Policy of XYZ Content Creation Co.
- Objectives and Purpose: this policy outlines the principles and guidelines for the responsible and ethical use of generative AI within our organization.
- Ethical Principles: we commit to upholding the following ethical principles in the use of generative AI:
- Transparency: we will ensure that AI-generated content is clearly identified.
- Accountability: we will designate individual owners for overseeing generative AI applications.
- Fairness: we will work to identify and mitigate bias in AI-generated content.
- Privacy: we will protect personal data and comply with data protection laws.
- Data Usage and Governance: data used in generative AI systems will be collected, stored, and processed in compliance with relevant data protection regulations.
- Regulatory Compliance: we will comply all applicable laws and regulations governing AI use, including data privacy and intellectual property right and regulations.
- Risk Management: potential risks associated with generative AI tools, including ethical and reputational risks, will be identified, assessed, and managed by the Risk team.
- Human Oversight: AI-generated content will be subject to human oversight, especially in areas with potential legal, safety, or ethical implications by the QA team.
- Research and Development: we will promote responsible research and development in Generative AI and engage in continuous improvement.
- Employee Education and Training: we will invest in training to ensure employees understand AI technologies and their responsible use.
- Collaboration: we will encourage collaboration with external partners to share best practices and knowledge.
- Accessibility: we will strive to make AI-generated content accessible to all.
- Procurement Guidelines: criteria for purchasing or licensing generative AI technologies will be established to ensure ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
- Public Engagement: we will seek feedback from the public and stakeholders on our use of Generative AI.
- Continuous Evaluation: policies will be reviewed and updated when necessary in accordance with regular assessments of the impact and performance of Generative AI.
- Reporting Mechanisms: we will create channels for employees and the public to report concerns or incidents related to Generative AI use.
- Compliance Audits: we will regularly assess our adherence to Generative AI policies and regulations.
- Crisis Response: a crisis response plan will be in place to address Generative AI-related incidents, including misinformation or content violations.