Public Records and AI Template

Use this template to document how an organization manages public-records, retention, transparency, disclosure, and documentation responsibilities related to AI-assisted work.

Organization: [Organization Name] Policy or Guidance Name: [Public Records and AI Guidance] Concept ID: [namespace:public_records_ai] Policy Owner: [Department, Clerk, Legal, Records Manager, or IT] Audience: Staff, managers, legal counsel, records officers, AI users Status: Draft Last Reviewed: [Month Year]

Explain how the organization will identify, preserve, review, disclose, and manage records created through or connected to AI-enabled systems.

This guidance may apply to:

• AI-generated drafts
• Prompts entered by staff
• Uploaded documents
• Chat histories
• AI-assisted reports
• Public-facing chatbot interactions
• Vendor audit logs
• System-generated recommendations
• AI-related approval records
• AI incident records

• AI use does not remove records-management obligations.
• Staff remain responsible for preserving required records.
• Records should be maintained according to applicable retention rules.
• Sensitive information should not be entered into unapproved AI systems.
• Public-facing AI interactions may require additional review and retention controls.
• Vendor contracts should support export, retention, deletion, and audit needs.

Staff should:

• Use only approved AI tools for agency work.
• Avoid entering confidential, protected, or restricted information into unapproved systems.
• Preserve work products when required.
• Follow department retention schedules.
• Escalate uncertain records questions to records-management, legal, or supervisory staff.
• Review AI-generated content before relying on or releasing it.

• Does the platform retain prompts, uploaded files, or outputs?
• Can records be exported?
• Can records be searched and retrieved?
• Can data be deleted according to retention rules?
• Are audit logs available?
• Does the vendor use organizational data for model training?
• Can the organization respond to a records request involving AI use?
• Are public-facing AI interactions captured and retained?

For public-facing AI assistants, document:

• The purpose of the assistant
• The information sources used
• Human review requirements
• Disclaimer language
• Escalation paths
• Record-retention approach
• Accessibility expectations
• Monitoring and quality-review practices

• Approved AI use case
• Data categories involved
• Retention guidance
• Vendor contract terms
• Audit-log availability
• Approval records
• Incident procedures
• Staff training materials
• Review schedule

• Example: Public Records and AI
• Example: AI Governance
• Example: AI Procurement
• AI Governance Template
• Vendor Evaluation Template
• Return to OKF Templates