FAQ: What belongs in a practical employee AI-use policy?

Tell employees which tools and uses are approved, which information they may enter, and which outputs need review before use. Include a clear route for requesting a new use case and reporting a mistake. Give examples from the business, such as drafting public copy versus analyzing confidential customer records. Assign someone to answer questions and review changes in provider settings or terms. A short policy people can apply is better than a broad promise to use AI responsibly. Make sure the approvals, training, and actual configurations support the policy rather than leaving enforcement entirely to individual judgment.

Related: SOC 2 audit and compliance hub.

Further reading: NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

Additional FAQs

Who should own SOC 2 controls in a small company?

Assign ownership to the person who can actually make the process work. HR may own onboarding records, engineering may own deployment approvals, and a business leader may own risk decisions.

What if no employee left or no incident occurred during the period?

Do not manufacture an event to fill an evidence request. Confirm that there really were no relevant occurrences and retain the records supporting that conclusion. For departures, that might involve

Do we need a list of every supplier our vendor uses?

Usually, start with providers that could materially affect your service or data. For each relevant provider, ask: If names or reports cannot be shared, ask for alternative evidence and record

Are the proposed 2027 SOC 2 criteria final requirements?

No. As of October 30, 2026, the AICPA's proposed 2027 Trust Services Criteria and Description Criteria are exposure drafts, not final requirements. The announced comment deadline is January 15, 2027.

Can we automate approvals and still keep meaningful oversight?

It depends on what is being approved and how the decision rules are controlled. Low-risk, well-defined requests may fit a documented rule, while unusual or sensitive changes may need a

What should an AI inventory include?

Start with the AI services people actually use, including features inside existing software. For each use case, record the owner, provider, purpose, users, data involved, connected systems, and whether the

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