AI Transparency & Responsible Use Policy

The short version

Five things to know:

• AI does the repetitive work. I make the decisions. Drafting, data clean-up, checks and reports run on AI. What to build, what to say and what to fix are decided by me, with you.
• Nothing goes out unchecked. Every piece of AI output that reaches you, or goes out in your name, is reviewed by me first.
• Your data isn't used to train AI models. The AI tools I use for client work are set so your data isn't used for training, and I'll show you how each one is set up.
• You can say no. If you'd rather your data didn't go through AI tools at all, tell me and it won't. Some work will take longer, and I'll tell you how that affects the price before we start.
• You pay for judgement, not typing. AI is why my fees are lower than an agency's, not a reason to charge more.

Why this page exists

AI is the reason the work has changed

The work agencies used to charge retainers for, such as articles, social posts, basic campaigns and reports, can now be produced with AI in a fraction of the time. That's good news for your budget. What a business still needs from outside is judgement about what to build, a system designed to run it, and training so the team can operate it.

I build my work around that. But if AI is central to how I work, you're entitled to know how I use it. Buyers aren't usually upset that AI was used. They're upset when they pay for expert work and get unchecked AI output. This policy is how I make sure that never happens.

AI in client work

Subheading: The same rule applies to every service: AI does the repetitive work, and every decision is made by a person and written down.

Fractional Marketing Director

AI does: much of the work agencies used to charge for, such as drafting content and pulling reports. I set it up inside your business so your team does that work.

AI doesn't: decide your plan, your positioning or what to publish. Your budget goes on judgement, system design and training.

Marketing Diagnostic & Priorities

AI does: help with research and with organising notes, so my time goes on judgement rather than admin.

AI doesn't: carry out interviews or write findings. Every finding and every recommendation is mine, and the interviews are always done by me, in person or on a call.

HubSpot Strategy & Implementation

AI does: the repetitive work: cleaning and deduplicating data, creating properties in bulk, backfilling scores and checking for errors.

AI doesn't: decide how your sales process, lifecycle or reporting should work. Those decisions are made with you and written down.

HubSpot Portal Management

AI does: run the checks in your account: finding duplicates, fixing formatting, spotting workflow errors and drafting the monthly report.

AI doesn't: decide what to change. I review what it finds, decide what to fix, make the changes that need judgement and write the record.

Endless Customers Coaching

Endless Customers Coaching is IMPACT's programme, and IMPACT's own policies apply to any data you share with IMPACT. Anything I handle as your coach follows this policy.

AI in my own content

I'd rather tell you than have you guess. Most articles on this site start as an AI draft. The draft is built from a brief I write, using the questions my clients and prospects actually ask.

What I add is the part AI can't: the opinions, the examples from real client work, what I've learned from interviews and conversations, and a full review. I read and edit every article before it's published, and I'm accountable for every claim in it. If something's wrong, it's my mistake, not the software's.

Client examples are only used with permission, or anonymised so the client can't be identified. Reviews, testimonials and case study results on this site are real, and are never written or invented by AI.

Some images on this site, including some diagrams and illustrations, are made with AI or design tools. They're never used to show a real event, a real client or a real result that didn't happen.

Your data

Subheading: Client data only goes into the tools listed here. Each one is set so your data isn't used to train AI models.

How I handle your data

• In your accounts where possible. AI routines for HubSpot and content run in your own accounts, so your data stays in your systems and you can switch them off.
• Only what's needed. I only put into an AI tool what the task needs. Where a task doesn't need names, emails or other personal details, I remove them first.
• Confidential documents stay out of AI tools unless you say otherwise. Contracts, financial information and anything marked confidential aren't put into AI tools without your agreement.
• No sensitive personal data. Health, financial or other special category data about your customers or staff never goes into an AI tool.
• NDAs welcome. I'm happy to sign your NDA before you share anything. My terms already include a data processing agreement, which covers how I handle personal data under UK GDPR.
• Deleted when we finish. When an engagement ends, I delete or return your data, as set out in my terms, including anything held in the tools above.

Checking the work

A person checks everything. AI makes mistakes. It can be confidently wrong, invent sources or miss context about your business. So nothing produced with AI goes to you, your customers or your website without being reviewed by me first.

If something I deliver is wrong because of an AI mistake, it's my mistake, and my guarantee applies: tell me within seven days, I'll redo it, and if it's still not right, I'll refund it.

What it means for price

AI is why you pay less, not more. AI handles the repetitive work, so your fee goes on judgement, system design and training. That's why my prices sit below a typical agency retainer, and why the days on a fractional engagement step down as your team takes over. I don't charge extra for using AI, and I don't bill hours for work AI did in minutes.

What I won't do

The lines I don't cross are:

• Pass off unchecked AI output as expert work
• Use AI to write reviews, testimonials or case study results
• Let your data be used to train AI models, where I control the setting
• Put confidential or sensitive data into AI tools without your agreement
• Use AI images to show events, clients or results that aren't real
• Let AI make decisions about your business

Your choices

You're in control. You can:

• Opt out: Ask me not to use AI on your data, and I won't. I'll tell you upfront if that changes the time or price.
• Ask: Ask which tools touched any piece of work, and I'll tell you.
• Delete: Ask me to delete your data from any tool listed here, and I'll confirm when it's done.

For procurement or security questionnaires, contact me and I'll send the details you need, including each tool's own data policy.

Changes to this policy

AI tools and their terms change often. I review this policy every six months, and whenever I add a tool that handles client data. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.

Questions about this policy: tom@tomwardman.com