AI Ethics Policy

I use AI in my work and help clients use it well. This policy explains where AI has a role, where human judgement stays in charge, and what you can expect when we work together.

1. When I tell you AI was involved

I disclose AI use when it materially shapes the work you receive.

AI-generated drafts
If AI produces a first draft that forms the basis of a positioning document, communications plan or piece of copy, I will tell you in the document or handover. I review and edit every draft, and I take full professional responsibility for the final work.

AI-assisted research and synthesis
I may use AI to summarise material, compare information or surface questions worth investigating. If you ask, I will explain the role it played and the checks I carried out before using the work.

Routine quality checks
I do not usually disclose AI used only for spelling, grammar or formatting checks where it has not shaped the substance of the work.

2. Human judgement stays with me

I make the final decisions on your work. AI may support research, options and early drafts. It does not make strategic recommendations, approve sensitive communications or commit your business to a course of action.

I retain personal responsibility for:

• strategic recommendations;

• brand positioning and messaging;

• crisis, reputation and sensitive communications;

• pricing, proposals and commercial commitments; and

• work concerning a named individual.

AI can produce options. The advice is mine.

3. Truthfulness, accuracy and representation

I will not use AI to deceive, mislead, impersonate someone or create false claims.

I will not publish work under someone’s name unless they know how it was developed and have had a proper opportunity to review it. The same standard applies to synthetic images, voices and video: I will not use them to make a person appear to say or do something they have not approved.

AI output is not evidence in itself. I check material facts, sources and claims before relying on them in client work.

AI can reproduce assumptions and stereotypes from its training data. When the work affects how people, audiences or markets are represented, I review it for bias and unhelpful assumptions before it is used.

4. Privacy and client confidentiality

I treat personal information, identifiable material and confidential client information with care.

Before I use AI with client material, I consider whether the tool, the data involved and the purpose are appropriate. I will not use AI in a way that creates unagreed risk to client confidentiality, a person’s privacy or their reputation.

I keep this policy alongside my AI usage policy, which covers the operational rules on approved tools, data handling and sign-off.

5. Where AI use needs extra care

Some work needs direct human involvement from the start.

For sensitive communications, reputation work and anything involving a named individual, I draft, review and sign off personally. For commercial terms, proposals and pricing, I carry out full human review before anything goes to a client.

If a proposed use of AI creates a concern about privacy, accuracy, fairness, confidentiality or reputational risk, I pause and choose a safer approach.

6. How AI changes my work

AI can reduce the time spent on early drafts and repetitive tasks. That gives me more time for the work clients hire me to do: understanding the situation, making sound strategic judgements, testing ideas and building strong working relationships.

For selected questions, I use specialist AI workflows to pressure-test positioning, consider likely buyer responses and surface patterns worth investigating. I assess the output before it informs the work.

My role remains the same. I bring judgement, experience, creativity and accountability to the decisions that matter.

7. Partners and tools

Third-party tools and suppliers can affect the work I deliver. When a piece of work needs an AI tool or specialist workflow, I consider its reliability, data handling and fit for the task before I use it.

I expect anyone working with me to meet the same standards on confidentiality, accuracy and human accountability.

8. Accountability and concerns

9. Review

I review this policy every quarter. The next review is due in October 2026.

I also update it when my AI practice changes in a material way, a new disclosure obligation applies, or a client concern shows that the policy needs to be clearer. The current version is always available at bydandstrategic.com.