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Acceptable-use policy (AUP)

By Updated

The staff-facing rules for using AI tools: which tools are approved, which data classes may go where, duties to review and disclose outputs, logging, attestation before access and consequences. It is enforced through a sanctioned gateway and discovery, not the handbook alone.

Developed in
ch. 12, Acceptable use of AI by staff
ch. 05, Pattern: Sanctioned AI Gateway
Chapters
ch. 05, Patterns · ch. 12, Governance Program
Source
Defined by this Body of Knowledge: the section it is developed in is the source

Where it is used

3 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Acceptable-use policy (AUP): mentions per chapter10 mentions of the term across 3 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter05 Patterns: 1 mention05 Patterns112 Governance Program: 5 mentions12 Governance Program515 Deployment: 4 mentions15 Deployment4No mentions in the other 20 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Acceptable-use policy (AUP): mentions per chapter10 mentions of the term across 3 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterOther chapter000102030405 Patterns: 1 mention105060708101112 Governance Program: 5 mentions512131415 Deployment: 4 mentions4151617181920212223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Acceptable-use policy (AUP) per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack0No
05 Patterns1Yes
06 The Role0No
07 Maturity Model0No
08 Regulatory Map0No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program5Yes
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development0No
15 Deployment4No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No

Patterns that use this term

One pattern page uses the term.

Acceptable-use policy (AUP): related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedColour: stack layer of the pattern04 Runtime ControlsAcceptable-use policy (AUP)Related terms (3)Open-weight model · RelatedOpen-weight modelSanctioned AI gateway · RelatedSanctioned AI gatewayShadow AI · RelatedShadow AIPatterns using it (1)Sanctioned AI Gateway, 5 mentions · Uses the termSanctioned AI Gateway
Acceptable-use policy (AUP): related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedColour: stack layer of the pattern04 Runtime ControlsRelated terms (3)Open-weight model · RelatedOpen-weight modelSanctioned AI gateway · RelatedSanctioned AI gatewayShadow AI · RelatedShadow AIPatterns using it (1)Sanctioned AI Gateway, 5 mentions · Uses the termSanctioned AI GatewayAcceptable-usepolicy (AUP)
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Acceptable-use policy (AUP)
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsOpen-weight modelRelated
Related termsSanctioned AI gatewayRelated
Related termsShadow AIRelated
Patterns using itSanctioned AI Gateway, 5 mentionsUses the term
  • Sanctioned AI gateway

    The single approved route by which staff reach AI tools and model APIs: approved tools behind single sign-on and a gateway that classifies each request by…

  • Shadow AI

    An AI system, model or agent running without registration, including staff use of unapproved AI tools; the failure mode that makes an inventory complete only…

  • Open-weight model

    A model whose trained weights are published for download under a licence that may be permissive, copyleft, use-restricted or custom.

Sources

No external source: the term is coined or used in a specific sense by this Body of Knowledge, and the section linked under "Developed in" is its source.

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Acceptable-use policy (AUP). In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/acceptable-use-policy-aup. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026acceptableusepolicyaup,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Acceptable-use policy (AUP)}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/acceptable-use-policy-aup}
}