Make approval specific to the product and account
Approve named products, account types, and use cases rather than writing "AI is allowed." Consumer and business plans can have different data handling. For example, OpenAI states that business offerings and the API are not used to train models by default, while individual-service data controls follow a different process. That distinction does not remove other privacy, retention, or contractual concerns. [S15]
Require company-managed accounts where the organization needs ownership, administration, and offboarding. Define how employees request a new tool instead of forcing them to improvise with a personal subscription.
Suggested policy language
The following is a starting point for leadership, HR, IT, and counsel to adapt, not an adopted Blue Tree Technology® or customer policy:
"Employees may use only approved AI tools and approved account types for business work. Confidential, personal, regulated, privileged, or customer information may be entered only when the specific use and data handling have been authorized. An approved tool is not permission to share every type of record."
"Employees remain responsible for checking accuracy, sources, tone, and suitability before relying on an AI output. AI must not make final employment, legal, credit, payment, or other high-impact decisions without the required qualified human review."
"Connecting email, calendars, files, CRM systems, or other business applications requires authorization. AI may not send external messages, change records, execute payments, or delete information unless the workflow and approval controls have been explicitly approved."
"Report suspected exposure, unexpected actions, or misleading results promptly through the established incident channel. Do not hide a mistake or attempt to erase evidence. Follow the organization's records and retention requirements."
Turn the policy into a workflow
Name the policy owner, the approval contact, and the review schedule. Keep an approved-tool register showing permitted data, connected systems, human-review requirements, and the person responsible for each workflow. Define an exception process with an expiration date rather than an open-ended verbal waiver.
Use examples employees recognize. A public marketing draft is different from uploading a litigation file. Asking for an outline is different from allowing an agent to email a customer. People need to understand both the data boundary and the action boundary.
Train and revise
Introduce the policy with practical exercises, then review what employees find confusing. Update it when tools, permissions, or business uses change. Blue Tree Technology® can discuss the technical controls that would support your approved policy. The final policy should reflect your organization's obligations and management decisions, not just the settings a software vendor happens to offer.