Short answer Paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot with your own details and you get a one-page, plain-English policy on how your team can use AI tools, what never goes in, and who checks the output. Works on free plans. Time saved: about 2 hours on a first draft (estimate).
Why it helps
Your team is probably already using ChatGPT or similar, on their phones if not at work. That's fine, until someone pastes in a customer list, a staff member's medical note or a client's contract. Most small businesses don't have any rules about it, so nobody knows where the line is.
A one-page policy sorts that out. AI is good at turning how you want things to work into short, clear rules. You decide the rules. It just writes them up so staff will actually read them.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
Help me write a one-page AI use policy for my small business in New Zealand. Plain NZ English, short headings, under 400 words. About us: [type of business, how many staff, what they do] AI tools we use or allow: [e.g. free ChatGPT, Copilot in Microsoft 365] What staff use it for: [e.g. emails, social posts, rosters, summaries] Never put into AI: [e.g. customer names, health info, staff details, passwords] Who checks AI work before it goes out: [role] Who to ask if unsure: [role] Cover: what it's for, approved tools, what never goes in, checking output before it's used, being honest with customers about AI where it matters, and what to do if something goes wrong. Only use what I've told you. Don't add legal claims or quote laws. At the end, list any gaps I should decide on.
Then keep chatting
Turn this into a 5-point checklist to stick up in the staff room.
Write a short message introducing this policy to the team.
What questions should I ask a provider about how they use our data?
Step by step
- Ask your team what they already use AI for. You'll get a more honest answer if you ask before you set rules.
- Decide the red lines: what never goes into an AI tool. Personal, health and financial information are the usual ones.
- Fill in the prompt and read the draft. Make the rules match how you actually work.
- Check it against the Privacy Commissioner's guidance on AI at privacy.org.nz.
- Go through it with the team, add it to your onboarding, and review it every 6 months.
Worked example
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Privacy: the Privacy Act 2020 applies to personal information you put into AI tools. The Privacy Commissioner has guidance on AI for businesses at privacy.org.nz, including doing a privacy check before you bring in a new tool.
- Check each tool's settings and terms. Business plans often handle your data differently from free personal accounts. Read the provider's own data and privacy pages before you approve a tool.
- A policy only works if people know about it. Talk it through, and don't just email it.
- It's not legal advice. If you handle health or other sensitive information, get the policy checked properly.
Go further
Add the policy to the staff onboarding plan use case so new people see it in week one. If AI is part of how you handle customer information, update your website privacy policy to match.
