A simple, comprehensive AI disclosure form
Every writer should have a standard AI disclosure posted. They should also include it in their contracts. Anyone working with a writer — whether they’re a ghostwriter, an author, or any other kind of writer — deserves to know how they use AI. By posting this information, you make it clear to others which AI uses you allow in your process as a writer.
The Standard AI Disclosure Form
☐ Yes ☐ No. I use AI as an aid in preparing material that I write.
☐ Yes ☐ No. I use AI to generate material for later publication.
Check below all the ways in which you use AI in writing projects:
☐ Grammar checking (e.g. Grammarly)
☐ Online research or search
☐ Transcription of audio interviews
☐ Summaries of materials for research purposes
☐ Brainstorming partner
☐ Suggestions for titles and headings
☐ Generate outlines
☐ Generate first drafts for further editing
☐ Assess reading level
☐ Evaluate and find errors and inconsistencies in text drafts
☐ Generate or clean up citations
☐ Generate or clean up formatting
☐ Upload project content to projects or repositories
☐ Analyze numerical data
☐ Generate drafts of graphics
☐ Generate final graphics for publication
☐ Generate audio narration
☐ Generate synthetic video
☐ Other: specify ___________________
List below all the ways in which you manage and ensure AI accuracy
☐ Verify existence of all citations
☐ Verify accuracy of descriptions of any cited content
☐ Verify accuracy of all facts
☐ Test content for potential plagiarism
☐ Test content for AI generation
☐ Ensure that all uploaded content is not used for LLM training purposes
☐ Ensure that all uploaded content complies with confidentiality agreements
☐ Other: specify ____________________
How to use this
This form is shared with a creative commons CC BY 4.0 (attribution) deed.
Any use of this content must include the following notice including the links:
AI disclosure form CC BY 4.0 Bernoff.com
Add your support
My own disclosure form is here.
If you use this form, I’d love it if you’d post it with a link in the comments.
Let’s make this an industry standard.
I like this.
Is grammar meant to cover spelling and completion/suggestion prompting?
What does “generate material for later publication” mean?
How do you ensure the LLM/confidentiality clauses? Is the word “uploaded” important? My understanding is that if you are using AI, it is extracting everything for everything; it seems that the “testing” function requires it. I have heard that some folks believe that they can contract hands-off treatment by paying for the AI. Governments are finding that AI use opens work to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)-like laws.
Do you pay for AI? Does AI pay you? Should that information, along with the specific AI models/tools used also be included in the disclosure?
TY
This is so timely. I wonder how I encourage my clients to use it – one is a very large local government organisation and the other is a university. I suspect neither are up with the play on this sort of thing.
Oh thank you for this, it’s very comprehensive. I found it through Jane Friedman’s weekly email, ‘The Bottom Line’.
I have done AI training in my NHS work and used copilot to create a rather impressive excel workbook, which would have taken me days without AI. I don’t think I’ll ever use it for creative writing or any other creative purposes though, partly because I want to keep my own brain in gear and partly because whyyyyyy would I let AI take over the best bits of my life? I’ve written a masters dissertation without it, I don’t need it to check my grammar, and I’m going to be very cautious going forward.
Thank you again Josh, I’ve used your template to publish my own AI policy, here: http://www.thingsivefoundinpockets.com/2026/01/ai-policy-and-disclosure.html
Nice try, but silly. Everyone in media knows that virtually everyone uses AI as part of their research and writing just as we all did for generations with books, journals, essays, commentaries, librarians, and the good ole industry grapevine. You don’t have to tell them. Truth and substance always shine through for experienced ethical editors and reporters.