Give your team clear rules for using AI
A free Word template that sets out which AI tools are approved, what data must never go into them, and where a person has to review the output before anyone relies on it.
A free Word AI acceptable use policy template for small business. Set approved tools, the data that must never go into public AI, and human review requirements.
What you'll get
A practical, ready-to-use resource you fill in with your own numbers and keep. No expiring trial, no strings.
What the AI use policy template does
Your team is almost certainly using AI tools already, whether or not anyone has said it is allowed. That is not a crisis, but it is a reason to write down some ground rules before a well-meaning employee pastes client data into a public chatbot and you find out later.
This template gives you those ground rules in a form you can actually adopt. It is not about banning AI or hyping it. It is about being clear: here are the tools we approve, here is the data that never goes into them, and here is where a person reviews the output before we act on it. You fill in the bracketed fields, share it with your staff, and collect their acknowledgment.
Fillable, not theoretical
Bracketed placeholders for your organization, your approved tools, and your data rules. Fill them in and you have a real policy, not generic boilerplate.
Protect the data that matters
A plain list of what must never go into a public AI tool, including client information, health records, and financial data, so the line is unmistakable.
Keeps a person in the loop
A human-review requirement for decisions that affect people or money, because AI is a helper here, not the final say. People stay responsible for the work.
Compliance overlay included
Notes on how the policy connects to HIPAA and CMMC obligations, so a regulated practice or contractor can adapt it without starting from scratch.
What is inside the template
- A purpose and scope section that sets the tone without the hype
- An approved-tools list and a prohibited-tools list, both editable for your organization
- A clear statement of what data must never go into a public AI tool
- A human-in-the-loop requirement for decisions that affect people, money, or compliance
- A compliance overlay with notes for HIPAA and CMMC obligations
- An employee acknowledgment page you can collect and keep on file
A policy works when people understand the why
Not sure you even need one yet?
If you are weighing whether a policy is worth the effort, start with the reasoning. Our article on whether you need an AI use policy lays out the case in plain terms, and our People+ Framework explains how we keep a human in the loop on every AI decision we are part of.
How it works
Tell us where to send it
Fill in the short form. Just enough so we know who we're helping and can tailor any follow-up, only if you want it.
Check your inbox
We email your copy right away, and the download is yours to keep. No expiring trial, no login.
Put it to work
Use it on your own, or ask us for a second set of eyes. No pressure either way.
We do not sell your information
You get the file and an email copy for later. That is it. No third-party sharing, ever.
Real local humans built this
Vicinity is a genuinely local IT provider with people in Alaska and Hawaii. We use AI to help our team, not to replace them.
A working tool, not legal advice
The template helps you set sensible rules. It is a starting point, not a substitute for counsel or a compliance professional.