An AI Use Policy is a set of guidelines defining how individuals or organisations can ethically and securely use artificial intelligence tools, covering approved applications, data handling, transparency, human oversight, bias mitigation, and compliance with regulations, acting as a framework to balance innovation with risk management for data privacy, intellectual property, and legal adherence. Key components include human review for accuracy, rules on sensitive data input, clarity on disclosure, and adherence to principles like safety, fairness, and accountability, with specific rules for different contexts like education or business.

I. Key Elements of an AI Use Policy:
1. Purpose & Scope: Clearly state why the policy exists and who it applies to (employees, partners, students).
2. Data Handling: Rules for inputting sensitive data, ensuring it aligns with collection purposes, and complying with GDPR/data protection laws, especially concerning personal or special category data.
3. Transparency & Disclosure: Requirements to disclose AI use, especially in research or public-facing content, and explain AI-driven decisions to individuals.
4. Human Oversight: Mandate human review for accuracy, ethical integrity, and bias in AI-generated outputs before release or use in critical decisions.
5. Prohibited Uses: Explicitly forbid harmful uses, such as exploiting minors, creating hate speech, or generating CSAM, as seen in OpenAI’s policies.
6. Ethical Standards: Address fairness, accountability, security, and preventing discrimination.
7. Risk Management: Outline procedures for auditing, risk assessment (technical/ethical), and reporting issues.
8. Compliance: Ensure alignment with existing laws (like UK’s principles) and sector-specific regulations.

II. Examples in Practice:
1. Education: Students must learn with AI but not copy-paste directly; acknowledge AI use in assignments.
2. Publishing: Authors must verify facts from AI, cite original sources, and disclose AI use in methods/acknowledgements.
3. Government/Business: Principles of safety, fairness, transparency, and accountability guide regulation and implementation.

III. Creating Your Policy:
1. Form a Working Group: Involve stakeholders from across the organisation.
2. Perform Risk Assessments: Identify technical and ethical risks.
3. Customise Templates: Use templates as a framework, not a final document, tailoring them to your specific needs and jurisdiction.