Do You Need an AI Policy for ChatGPT and Copilot?
Here’s What Hampshire Businesses Should Know
Quick answer: Yes. If staff have access to the internet, they are almost certainly already using ChatGPT, Copilot or a similar AI tool at work, whether or not you’ve approved it. The safest response isn’t to ban AI. It’s a short, clear AI-at-work policy that says what’s allowed, what isn’t, and where the line sits between a public AI tool and one built into your own Microsoft 365 environment.
Somewhere in your business, someone is probably using ChatGPT to draft an email, summarise a report, or tidy up a document before it reaches a client. Nobody trained them on it. It’s just useful, and it’s free.
That’s the reality for law firms, accountants, architects and agencies across Hampshire, Dorset and the South East. The tools are already in the building. The real question is whether you know what’s being typed into them.
Is It Safe to Use ChatGPT for Work?
Not automatically, and it depends which version. The risk isn’t AI itself; it’s staff pasting sensitive information into a public tool without knowing where that information goes.
Common examples: a solicitor drafting a letter using a real client’s name and case details, an accountant summarising figures from unpublished accounts, or an architect sharing client building plans to get a faster written description. None of this is malicious, but nobody has ever told them not to.
What’s the Difference Between ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot?
This is the single most useful thing to understand before writing any policy.
- Consumer ChatGPT (the free, public version) may use what you type to help train future models, depending on account settings. Once information goes in, you have limited control over where it ends up.
- Microsoft Copilot, when properly licensed inside your existing Microsoft 365 setup, works inside your organisation’s own data boundary. It respects the permissions and security settings you already have.
Practical takeaway: if your business already runs on Microsoft 365, the safer route usually isn’t banning AI outright, it’s steering staff towards the version already designed to protect your data.
What Should an AI-at-Work Policy Actually Include?
A usable AI policy doesn’t need to be forty pages. It needs to answer four questions clearly enough that any staff member could follow it without asking:
- Which AI tools are staff allowed to use for work? Name them specifically.
- What must never be entered into a public AI tool? Client names, financial data, anything covered by confidentiality or GDPR, unpublished business information.
- Who checks AI-generated output before it reaches a client, the same way you would want a new starter’s work looked over before sending it out.
- Who do staff ask if they’re unsure? One named contact removes the guesswork.
That’s enough for a working first version, you can refine it as the tools and risks change.
Should I Review Permissions Before Turning on Copilot?
Yes, and it’s a step many businesses skip. AI tools are very good at finding and summarising information, including files that were only loosely protected because nobody expected them to be searched that thoroughly. A short permissions review before enabling Copilot means it becomes a genuine time-saver, not an accidental way of surfacing things that should have stayed restricted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do small businesses need an AI policy?
Yes. Any business where staff have internet access should assume AI tools are already in informal use, and a short policy is a low-cost way to reduce the risk.
Is Microsoft Copilot GDPR compliant?
When properly licensed and configured within Microsoft 365, Copilot operates inside your existing data boundary and permissions, which supports GDPR compliance more readily than a public consumer AI tool. Configuration still matters, so it’s worth checking your specific setup.
Can I just ban ChatGPT instead of writing a policy?
You can, but it rarely works in practice. Staff tend to keep using it on personal devices instead, which removes any visibility or control. A policy that channels safe use is usually more effective than a ban that pushes it out of sight.
Where to Start
You don’t need to solve this in one afternoon. The businesses who get this right are the ones who put something short and sensible in place now, then revisit it every so often as the tools change.
If it would help, get in touch for a short, no-obligation chat about how prepared your current setup is, and what a sensible AI policy could look like for your business.
Sense IT provides IT support, cyber security and telecoms for growing businesses across Hampshire, Dorset and the South East. Talk to us about using AI safely, without switching it off.