AI policy template for UK small businesses

Use this free AI policy template to draft an AI usage policy in plain English. The same document is your AI acceptable use policy: it records which tools staff may use, what must stay out of them, and who checks the work before a customer sees it. Answer a few quick questions and read the full draft on this page. You do not need an account to see it.

Where the draft talks about personal data, it links to the ICO's own UK GDPR and AI guidance rather than restating the law. It's a starting point for you to edit, not legal advice.

A few quick questions

The draft stays on this page. An email is only asked for if you want the Word file.

Staff size
Which AI tools do staff use?
What data do staff handle?
Does AI output ever reach customers without a human check?

Questions about this AI policy template

What is an AI policy template for a UK small business?
It is a starting draft you edit and then adopt, so people who work with you know the rules for AI tools. This page asks a few quick questions and shows a plain-English AI usage policy on screen. You do not need an account to read it.
Is an AI usage policy the same as an AI acceptable use policy?
For a small business, the two names usually describe the same document. An AI usage policy and an AI acceptable use policy both say which tools staff may use, what must never be pasted into them, and who checks the output before a customer sees it. This template writes one document you can use under either name.
Do I have to give an email address to read the draft?
No. The on-screen preview is free and does not ask for an email. We only ask for an email if you want the editable Word file. Z3nith updates are a separate tick box, and it starts unticked.
Does this template replace advice from a solicitor?
No. It is a general starting point, not legal advice. Read the ICO's own UK GDPR guidance and its guidance on AI and data protection, then check the draft against your contracts, staff terms and any rules for your sector before you adopt it.
What should the policy say about customer data?
It should say what staff must not paste into an AI tool. Where that includes personal data, follow the ICO's pages rather than a summary in a template. This draft links to those pages and leaves the legal detail to the ICO.
How often should a small business review its AI policy?
Pick a date and keep it. The form lets you choose every 3, 6 or 12 months, and you should look again sooner if you approve a new tool or start handling a new kind of data. The draft names an owner and a next review date from the answers you give.