Plain records of how your business uses AI
Paper Trail Primer explains what to write down when a small business uses AI tools, and where to look for how long to keep it. It sticks to short logs and notes that people will actually fill in. For the rules, it points you to official sources.
It is written for owners and staff of small and medium businesses who use AI tools and want a simple record of it.
All the guides
Why keep records of how your business uses AIDo you really need to write anything down about AI use? Here's what goes wrong without a record, and how small the habit can be.
What to record about each AI tool you useWhich facts about an AI tool are worth noting, from who uses it and for what to the plan and what happens to the data you put in.
A simple AI use log you can keep in a spreadsheetA plain, low-effort AI use log, with the columns it needs, a sample row, and how to keep it up without it turning into a chore.
Should you save prompts and AI outputs?When it helps to keep the exact prompt and answer from an AI tool, and when saving them adds risk instead of value.
Recording who checked AI work before it was usedHow to show that a person looked over AI output before it reached a customer, with a short sign-off note that takes seconds.
How long to keep AI records: where to look for the rulesNo single rule sets how long to keep AI records. Here's where tax agencies in Australia, the US and UK say how long to keep records.
Keeping a copy of vendor terms and privacy settingsWhy to save the terms and privacy settings an AI tool had on the day you used it, and a simple way to do it with dated copies.