AI Questions & Answers

Is it safe to paste client information into ChatGPT or another AI tool?

Not into a personal or free account. Only use a tool your firm has approved, on a business plan where training on your data is off and retention is understood. When in doubt, remove names, numbers, and identifying details first.

Next step: General Starter Kit →

Can I use AI on DoD or CUI work?

Only with services that meet FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent, as DFARS 252.204-7012 requires for covered defense information. Most consumer AI tools do not qualify. CMMC Phase 2 is currently paused, but NIST SP 800-171 obligations still apply.

Next step: CMMC Safe-AI Guide →

Can I paste an RFQ, part spec, or delivery schedule from a government job into ChatGPT?

Not into a personal or public account. Non-public information you get under a federal contract is usually Federal Contract Information (FCI), which CMMC Level 1 expects you to protect. If it is CUI, DFARS 252.204-7012 requires a cloud service that meets FedRAMP Moderate or equivalent. Ask whoever runs your IT which tool is approved for contract data.

Next step: Contractor AI Kit →

Do lawyers have special rules for using AI?

Yes. ABA Formal Opinion 512 (July 2024) applies duties of competence, communication, fees, and confidentiality to generative AI. State bar guidance varies, so check yours.

Next step: Law Firm AI Kit →

Do AI vendors have their own rules for legal, health, or financial work?

Yes, and they change. For example, Anthropic's usage policy update (effective Nov 12, 2026) requires a qualified human to review AI output used for decisions about someone's legal rights, health, finances, or livelihood, and requires telling the affected person that AI was involved. Read your vendor's current usage policy alongside your professional rules.

Next step: Law Firm AI Kit →

Do we need an AI policy if employees are already using AI anyway?

Especially then. If people are already using AI on their own, a short written policy tells them which tools are approved, what never to paste, and who to ask. Pair it with a quick training on checking AI output, since a policy alone doesn't stop mistakes.

Next step: General Starter Kit →

What should I try first with AI at work?

Start with low-risk writing tasks that use no confidential data: rewriting an email, summarizing a public article, or making a checklist.

Try this prompt:

Rewrite this email to be friendly, clear, and under 120 words. Keep all facts the same: [paste email with names removed]

What's a simple structure for a good prompt?

Give it a role, the task, the context, and the format you want back.

Try this prompt:

You are an experienced office manager. Create a one-page checklist for onboarding a new employee at a 15-person construction company. Use short bullet points grouped by first day, first week, first month.

The AI made something up. What do I do?

Assume any fact, citation, or number may be wrong until checked. Ask it to show sources, then open them yourself. Never file or send AI citations unverified.

Try this prompt:

List each factual claim in your last answer, and for each one tell me how confident you are and what source I could check.

The answer is too generic. How do I fix it?

Add specifics: who it's for, constraints, an example of what good looks like, and ask it to ask you questions first.

Try this prompt:

Before you answer, ask me up to 5 questions that would help you make this specific to my situation.

How do my coworkers and I share AI work safely?

Use one firm-managed workspace (a Business/Team/Enterprise plan) instead of personal accounts, so prompts and files stay under company control and leave with the company, not the employee.

How can I introduce AI to my kids safely?

Use it together, check each tool's age terms, never share personal details, and make a game of spotting answers that are wrong.

Try this prompt:

Explain why the sky is blue to a 5-year-old in three short sentences, then ask them one fun question about it.