How to Disclose AI Use
When AI tools are used in creating a document, product, report, image, or other work, the most useful disclosure is usually a simple and direct one. Readers want to understand whether AI was used, what role it played, and who approved the final result.
This page explains how to disclose AI use clearly, when a short statement may be enough, and when a more structured provenance disclosure is the better fit.
Start with the basic questions
A good disclosure usually answers three things.
- Was AI used at all?
- How was it used?
- Who reviewed and approved the final work?
Those questions matter more than complicated wording. In most cases, readers are trying to understand process and responsibility, not legal theory.
Describe the role of AI plainly
The disclosure should explain the role automation played without exaggerating or minimizing it. Examples include drafting assistance, summarization, research support, coding assistance, image generation, editing, or formatting.
If people provided meaningful direction, selection, editing, or approval, say that clearly. If AI generated initial material that was later revised by a person, say that too.
Say who approved the result
The most important part of many AI disclosures is not the tool list. It is the statement of human responsibility. A useful disclosure should make clear who reviewed the final work and authorized its release.
If no one is willing to stand behind the final result, the problem is not disclosure wording. The problem is governance.
When a short statement is enough
A short statement may be enough when you only need a concise explanation to accompany a document, publication, or deliverable. That is often the case for articles, routine reports, or internal materials where the goal is simply to be transparent about the use of AI tools.
For example, a short statement might say that generative AI tools were used to assist with drafting, and that a human author reviewed, edited, and approved the final content.
If you need example language, see AI Use Statement Template and AI Disclosure Statement.
When you need more than a short statement
A short statement may not be enough when the work will face external review, due diligence, publication review, procurement scrutiny, or legal/compliance questions. In those situations, people often need more than a sentence. They need a clearer record of how the work was created.
That is where a provenance disclosure is useful. A provenance disclosure is a more structured record describing the role of automation, the human review process, and the basis for the disclosure being made.
How this relates to Provenance Disclosure
Provenance Disclosure helps organizations create a structured disclosure when a simple AI-use statement is not enough. Instead of only offering a short summary, it produces a more formal record of what role AI played and who took responsibility for the final result.
If you are ready to create that kind of record, review the disclosure options or see an example issued disclosure.
Create a Provenance Disclosure
If this work needs a fuller, reviewable record of AI involvement and human approval, generate a Provenance Disclosure.