AI Policy
An Artificial Intelligence Policy for Creative Humans
v.2 | last updated May 2026
At Banner Day, we see AI as a human-powered tool with real potential and real limitations. As with any tool, when, how, and why we use it (and DON’T use it) matters.
Our AI policies reflect our values—Meaning, Verve, Heart—centering and celebrating human creativity and empathy while upholding our collective responsibility to do right by our clients, our collaborators, our communities, and ourselves. Our framework ensures we use AI, and all technology, in ways that serve our creative vision, strengthen our collaborative relationships, and deliver meaningful value to our clients.
Here's how we do it.
Approach
Serving people first.
First and foremost, we care about how our use of AI affects YOU—our clients, collaborators, and partners. All of our tools, processes, and policies are designed to bring more “aha!” and “whoo hoo!” to our work together.
Honoring our humanity.
AI can’t replace or substitute for human thinking, creating, and connecting. Our independent collaborators bring irreplaceable, individual ingenuity, strategy, empathy, and perspective to every project. Humans make. Algorithms help make it easier/faster/more interesting.
Grounding decisions in purpose.
Everything we do with AI starts with why. When we recommend an AI-supported approach, we’ll show you what’s driving it and why we believe it’s a wise way to go.
Staying transparent.
We communicate clearly about when and how AI tools support our process. No “secret weapons” or (unwanted) surprises. Have a question, suggestion, or concern about AI (or any tools we use)? Please share it with us.
Philosophy
Make it meaningful. Make it mindful. Make it measurable.
Meaningful.
AI implementation should advance strategic goals and enhance human creativity. Not just add tech (for tech’s sake!)
Mindful.
We thoughtfully consider AI’s ethical implications, including those concerning data privacy, bias prevention, proper attribution, and sustainability. We’re continually learning and improving, not afraid to pause and reassess, and always open to changing our approach for the better.
Measurable.
We regularly evaluate how AI tools affect our day-to-day operations, creative processes, client outcomes, and collaborator experiences—revising and refining based on real results, not just gut feelings.
Core Practices
Human-AI Collaboration
Human Creative Direction: All AI-generated content flows from human creative direction and is never used internally or shared externally without direct oversight by at least one qualified (human) collaborator.
Skills Amplification: We use AI in ways that allow our collaborators to focus their time, energy, and talents on higher-value creative work. (Think: less effort spent gathering and organizing strategic inputs; more spent on turning them into breakthrough ideas.)
Attribution: “Give credit” is one of our Golden Rules. We set clear standards for properly and transparently attributing the work of human creators and the use of AI tools.
Agentic AI
AI agents are a step beyond AI tools. Rather than generating outputs for humans to review and use, they take autonomous actions, like browsing, scheduling, drafting and sending communications, updating platforms, and executing multi-step workflows. This category of AI is evolving quickly, and our approach to it is guided by the same values that shape everything else we do.
We MAY use AI agents to:
Organize, summarize, or prepare materials for human review
Assist with scheduling, file management, and administrative workflows
Research and compile background information; analyze data and identify patterns
Automate repeatable operational tasks that don't involve client-facing decisions
We DON’T use AI agents to:
Send communications on behalf of Banner Day or our clients without direct human review and approval
Make or communicate creative, strategic, or business recommendations or decisions
Access, handle, or share confidential client information without explicit human oversight
Take any action that creates a commitment, obligation, or public representation for Banner Day or a client
These are relevant, current examples, for your reference; not an exhaustive list. As this landscape continues to evolve, so will this policy. And we’ll let you know what’s changed.
Ethical Use & Transparency
Client Disclosure: From the first hello to the final high-five, we communicate clearly about when, how, and why AI tools contribute to your project’s delivery and success.
Content Labeling: Look for this label on AI-Supported Content:
🦾 AI-Supported Content: This content was developed with the intentional use of AI-powered tools and has been directed, reviewed, and approved by a qualified human collaborator. If you have questions, please refer to our AI Policy (bannerday.co/ai-policy) or contact us directly.
This label covers the full spectrum of intentional AI use: from AI drafting a first pass our team substantially reworked, to AI that generated a summary we reviewed and approved. What the label signals isn't how much AI was involved. It’s that we used it on purpose. And a human was always responsible for the ultimate result.
No label? That content was developed and approved by human collaborators without the intentional application of AI-powered content-creation tools (though it may have passed through platforms that carry AI features we didn't actively invoke.)
Tool-Embedded AI: Nearly every platform in use today incorporates some form of AI as part of its standard functionality, from email clients to design platforms to scheduling tools. We can't guarantee that a tool we use doesn't include AI-powered components at the platform level. What we can guarantee is that we'll be transparent whenever we intentionally direct AI to develop or deliver creative work on your behalf.
Security & Data Privacy
We practice safe, secure use of AI-powered tools and prioritize the protection of client, collaborator, and company data following recommendations from The National Cybersecurity Alliance. This includes:
Using AI-powered tools that have been third-party verified for security and privacy compliance
Treating AI interactions with the same standards we apply to social media: If we wouldn't post about it publicly, we don’t input it into an AI tool.
Using generic and anonymized inputs to preserve confidentiality.
Protecting accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authorizations (MFAs)
Quality & Integrity
Always-Human Review Process: Every AI-generated output, just like every human-generated one, undergoes a comprehensive review by one or more qualified (human) collaborators before being put to use or shared with our clients.
Accounting for Bias: We carefully monitor and address potential biases in AI outputs, especially regarding the representation of diverse populations. This is a serious limitation of today’s AI tools—one we are committed to correcting on both the output side, by vetting all results, and the input side, by including diverse voices and perspectives in our interactions with generative AI.
Practical Implementation
Selecting AI Tools
When we bring a new AI tool into our creative toolkit, we evaluate it against these criteria:
Does it align with our core values (Meaning. Verve. Heart.) and our Golden Rules (Take Care. Give Credit. Share Joy.)?
Is it transparent about how it was developed and trained, and does it take steps to reduce bias and prevent harm while serving users?
Is it developed and operated with meaningful attention to its social and environmental impact?
Does it maintain strong data security and privacy protections?
Can it be customized to match our specific creative needs?
Does it enhance rather than diminish human creativity?
Creative Work
We believe great creative work—whether it’s a name, a headline, a visual identity, or a strategic framework—begins with a human point of view. AI tools have become genuinely capable across writing, design, and production support, and we’re glad to have them in our toolkit. What they don't change is who is responsible for the work. Or how much we care about doing it well.
Human direction leads: When AI tools are used at any stage of a creative project (ideation, drafting, iteration, production) the human collaborator sets the creative direction, applies the judgment, and owns the result. This is true for language AND for images. The medium doesn't change the principle.
Collaborator autonomy matters: Our collaborators are independent creative professionals who bring their own expertise, processes, and tools to every engagement. We don’t prescribe how they work. We do hold ourselves, and each other, to shared standards. AI use in client work should be transparent, human-directed, and delivered with great care, intention, and integrity.
Transparency with clients: When AI tools have contributed meaningfully to creative work we present or deliver, we say so (see our Content Labeling standards, above).
Specific Creative Applications
Writing & Copy: AI may assist in generating drafts, variations, or revisions. Human writers are responsible for creating strong prompts and customized inputs, iterating and refining, and applying our (gold) standards for verbal tone, accuracy, quality, and integrity to all messaging work.
Visual Design: AI may assist in generating sketches, variations, or edits. Human designers are responsible for creating strong prompts and customized inputs, iterating and refining, and applying our (gold) standards for visual tone, accuracy, quality, and integrity to all design work.
Strategy & Analysis: AI research, data, and analysis are vetted and interpreted by human strategists before being used to inform any creative considerations or recommendations.
Client & Collaborator Experience: AI may assist with scheduling, communication, or information sharing. It should never—and will never—replace our deep respect for and investment in building meaningful client and collaborator relationships with empathy and enthusiasm.
Copyright & Intellectual Property
All content produced by our collaborators on behalf of Banner Day or our clients must respect applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. This is straightforward in principle. In practice, AI technologies continue to outpace the legal frameworks designed to govern them. So, we stick to our commitments and adapt as proactively as we can. When in doubt, we pause and reassess. (“Move-fast-and-break-things” might work for some. Around here, “Take time and take care” is the rule, not the exception.)
Our commitments:
We work with legal counsel, including through our INVINCIBLE INC. partnership, to stay current on relevant developments in AI-related copyright and IP law
We review our practices and update our guidance on an annual basis (at minimum), and sooner if the legal or ethical landscape shifts in ways that affect our clients or our work
For any deliverable where AI-generated content raises a meaningful IP consideration, we'll raise it directly with our clients rather than deliver the work without acknowledgment
Collaborator Guidelines
All contractors and collaborators working with Banner Day have access to:
Documentation of our approved AI tools and best practices
Ethical guidelines for responsible AI implementation, including the Creative Work standards above
Clear protocols for communicating concerns about AI outputs
Regular updates on policy changes
Sustainability
Today, the environmental costs of AI—energy, water, computing infrastructure—are very real. It will take time, regulation, and continued collective effort by AI providers, customers, and governments if there is ever to be a fully (or even highly) sustainable way to use AI. We think it's important to acknowledge these limitations first. Then, to do what we can to find and maintain a responsible balance that works for our clients, our collaborators, and our company values.
In practice, this looks like:
Tracking intentional generative AI usage (Claude, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini) at Banner Day’s virtual HQ through Offset AI, to better understand our footprint and explore offsets where they make a meaningful difference. Our independent collaborators are encouraged, but not required, to do the same when engaged on Banner Day projects.
Factoring environmental impact into how we evaluate AI tools. And we'll keep refining our approach as the landscape—and our understanding of it—evolves.
Sharing knowledge and guidance around sustainable AI use continuously, through our policy, our resources, and in direct conversation with our collaborators.
Client AI Preferences
Our AI practices reflect our own values and standards, but we recognize that our clients may have their own. If you have particular requirements around AI use in connection with your project, please share them with us in writing at the start of our engagement. We'll communicate clearly about any constraints that affect how we work, and—if and where there are meaningful trade-offs—talk through them with you, directly.
Oversight & Communication
As the naming and branding company created for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs, our AI governance is overseen directly by Banner Day’s founder and creative director with input from key collaborators.
This includes:
Evaluating and approving new AI tools for studio use
Addressing ethical concerns about AI implementation
Reviewing and updating this policy at least annually, and as technologies and legal standards evolve
Answering AI implementation questions
Balancing our commitment to upholding company-wide AI standards and policies with our commitment to supporting the autonomy of our team of independent contractors
Maintaining and modeling open communication about AI and AI policies and providing opportunities for information-sharing, feedback, and conversation
In that spirit, if you have further questions about our AI Policy, please email us at hello@bannerday.co.🦾 AI-Supported Content: This content was developed with the intentional use of AI-powered tools and has been directed, reviewed, and approved by a qualified human collaborator. If you have questions, please refer to our AI Policy (bannerday.co/ai-policy) or contact us directly.
What's New in v.2
Version two (v.2) updates include new guidance on agentic AI, a simplified content labeling system, expanded sections on creative work, copyright/intellectual property, sustainability, client AI preferences, and a commitment to annual policy reviews.