An AI policy is most useful when people can apply it during an ordinary working day. It should explain which tools they may use, what information they may enter, when a person must review an output and how to raise a concern. A risk assessment provides the reasoning behind those rules.
A recent development to put on the agenda
The European Commission states that Article 50 transparency obligations under the EU AI Act apply from 2 August 2026, subject to specific transitional arrangements. Its guidance addresses informing people when they interact directly with AI and particular marking and disclosure duties for generated content.
A UK business should assess whether its activities fall within the Act’s scope; EU-related operations or use of outputs can matter. It should not assume that every UK deployment is covered, or that these transparency provisions are the whole compliance picture. Source: European Commission, Article 50 transparency questions and answers, accessed 8 September 2026.
Assess the use case, not just the supplier
The same model can support very different activities. Drafting an internal meeting agenda and recommending an outcome affecting a customer do not carry the same consequences. Record the purpose, affected people, data used, potential errors and existing controls for each use case.
Ask what happens if the system produces an inaccurate statement, exposes restricted information or acts outside its intended scope. Identify the person who can stop the process and correct an outcome. Supplier documentation helps, but it does not replace an assessment of how your organisation uses the system.
Write rules that resolve real decisions
An effective policy can set out approved tools and accounts, permitted data, review requirements, escalation routes and ownership. Include examples relevant to the team: whether client documents may be uploaded, whether AI-generated correspondence needs approval and how to verify a source before relying on it.
Customer-facing assistants should explain their role clearly and provide a useful route to human help. Avoid presenting automated responses as a named human employee. Test that the wording is visible at the point of interaction, including on a mobile screen.
Make governance a continuing activity
Maintain a register of approved uses and give each one a review date. Revisit the assessment when the model, data, integration or purpose changes. A new connection that lets an assistant update records can materially alter a previously read-only use case.
Smart Flow AI’s AI Risk Assessment service can help identify risks and practical controls. AI Policy Creation can turn those decisions into guidance for staff. This article is general information; legal applicability and sector-specific obligations need assessment in the context of your organisation.
Request a proposal for AI Risk Assessment, or explore AI Policy Creation.