Plain-English explainers
Short guides on key governance topics: what AI governance is, why it matters, and how it fits alongside data protection and existing policies.
View explainer topicsAI Governance & Responsible AI Hub
Make sense of
AI governance, step by step
This hub is for leaders who want clear language, practical templates and simple checklists. No jargon, no panic – just guidance you can share with your team to use AI safely and responsibly.
Plain-English explainers & templates
Grounded in UK regulation & GDPR
Inside this hub
Your AI governance starting point
Free to explore
AI policy & guardrails basics
What every AI policy should cover, in simple language.
Risk & controls walkthroughs
How to think about bias, hallucinations, over-reliance and data risk.
Templates & checklists
Simple, editable starting points for policies, assessments and approvals.
When you need help beyond templates:
Explore AI Governance & Responsible AI ServicesWhat you'll find here
A practical hub for governance, not just theory
Each section is designed so you can read, share and act. Use it as a reference for leadership conversations, training sessions, or when you’re reviewing new AI tools.
Policy templates & examples
Structure and wording prompts for AI acceptable use, data handling, and governance roles – ready for your legal team to adapt.
See policy templatesRisk & control checklists
Practical checklists for assessing AI use-cases, spotting common risks and deciding what controls are proportionate.
Browse risk checklistsCulture & training ideas
Ways to bring governance into everyday habits – from simple “AI use principles” to prompts you can add to team training.
Explore culture ideasStart from where you are
Pick the path that matches your situation
Whether you’re writing your first AI policy, reviewing a new vendor, or training a non-technical team, use these paths as a guided route through the hub.
“We don’t have an AI policy yet”
A simple sequence to go from “nothing written down” to a clear, shareable AI policy draft.
- Read AI policy fundamentals.
- Download the AI policy structure template.
- Use the “risk & controls” checklist to sense-check your draft.
“We’re considering a new AI tool”
Use this path when a team wants to roll out an AI product and you need to make a calm, informed decision.
- Share the AI use-case review checklist with the sponsor.
- Walk through key questions from the AI vendor assurance explainer.
- Capture decisions in your AI risk & approvals log.
“We need to train non-technical teams”
Ideal when people are already experimenting with AI tools and you want to add some guardrails and shared language.
- Use the “AI use principles” starter set in team meetings.
- Combine with the everyday risk prompts for live examples.
- Follow up with a tailored AI governance training session.
Explainers
Key governance concepts, explained in plain language
These articles are designed to be shared with senior leaders, governance committees and team leads. Each one answers the “what is it?”, “why does it matter?” and “what do we do now?” questions.
- What AI governance means for UK SMEs
- How AI governance fits alongside GDPR and data policies
- Common myths about AI risk and what actually matters
- What “responsible AI” looks like in small organisations
Suggested article structure
Use this pattern for future resources:
- Short, clear definition
- 2–3 real-world examples from SMEs
- Risks and benefits in balanced terms
- Simple “questions to ask internally” list
As you add real articles, link them here with descriptive anchor text (e.g. “Read the full explainer on AI governance for SMEs”) rather than generic “click here” links. This helps both readers and search engines understand the structure of the hub.
Templates & examples
Templates that give your legal team a head start
Every template in this hub is designed as a starting point – not a substitute for legal advice. They help you move faster while leaving room for your existing policies and regulatory landscape.
- AI acceptable use policy outline
- AI project risk & approvals log
- AI vendor assessment question set
- AI governance roles & responsibilities matrix
How to introduce templates internally
- Share context from the explainers section.
- Walk through the template with stakeholders.
- Agree what to adapt, add or remove.
- Record decisions and ownership for future updates.
When these templates are live as downloads, link them clearly with descriptive text like “Download the AI policy structure template (Word)” rather than generic file names.
Risk & control checklists
Simple prompts to sense-check AI use-cases
These checklists help you ask better questions before rolling out AI tools. They’re designed to be used in workshops, project reviews and vendor conversations.
- Data, privacy and confidentiality questions
- Bias, fairness and impact on people
- Reliance, oversight and “human in the loop” design
- Third-party risk and vendor behaviour
Example: quick triage checklist
- What data will this AI tool see, and where does it go?
- Who is ultimately accountable for decisions made with it?
- How will we spot and correct errors or hallucinations?
- What happens if the tool becomes unavailable?
As you create sector-specific checklists (e.g. for charities, professional services), link them here and in the relevant Academy or services pages to strengthen your semantic internal linking.
Culture & training
Turn governance into everyday habits
Governance works best when people understand the “why” and feel safe to ask questions. This section gives you prompts, discussion guides and training ideas to make AI safety feel normal, not scary.
- Sample “AI use principles” slides for team meetings
- Discussion questions for board and leadership sessions
- Ideas for building internal AI champions
- Linking governance into your AI Academy journeys
Connect this hub with your training offer
From a semantic SEO perspective, it helps to link this section to your AI training overview and Hartz AI Academy pages whenever you talk about skills, culture or behaviour change.
This reinforces the relationship between “AI training”, “AI governance” and “responsible AI” across your site.
From reading to action
When you’re ready to turn guidance into a programme
Use this hub as a reference point, then bring us in when you want help running workshops, writing policies or assessing risk across your organisation.
