Artificial Intelligence Use Policy

Purpose

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help us all to work more quickly and think more broadly, but our clients hire us for our judgment, experience, accuracy and trust. We drafted this policy to clarify exactly how we use AI tools, and how we protect our clients’ interests in the process. 

The tools we use 

We use the following paid-for tools to support our research, workflow, communications, scheduling, summarising, transcribing, editing, reformatting, data analysis, quality control and brainstorming: Adobe Suite, Google Workspace, Apple iWork Suite, Microsoft365, Zoom, ClickUp, Claude Pro, Canva, Instrumentl, and GrantStation. 

Guiding principles

• Accountability
  We are responsible for every piece of work we deliver. AI is an assistant, not an author and is never used for composing the first draft of any non-routine material.

• Confidentiality
  We adjust our settings so that client and funder confidentiality are protected. See here for Google’s latest update (October 6, 2026), and here for Anthropic’s (March 16, 2026).

• Accuracy
  We verify what AI produces. Precision outweighs speed.

• Transparency
  This document.

• Authenticity
  We take pride in our ability to reflect our clients’ voice, language, character, ambitions and priorities in the materials that we deliver. This ability is rooted in our empathy and open ear. 

Permissions

Unless expressly authorised, we will not: 

• Enter personal data about identifiable individuals into an unapproved AI tool.

• Enter confidential client information or data into unapproved tools.

• Submit AI-generated text, data or statistics without verification and labelling. 

• Use AI to produce synthetic data, images, voice or video content in client deliverables. 

• Use AI to circumvent funder rules and requirements.