Zendegi Press AI Policy

Last updated: July 20 2026

I. Preamble

Zendegi Press recognizes the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the publishing industry, while also acknowledging the ethical, legal, and practical considerations it raises. This policy aims to guide the responsible and strategic use of AI across all aspects of our business, ensuring alignment with our core values of care, curiosity, creativity, excellence, integrity, and partnership.

ChatGPT assisted in identifying gaps in this policy and in drafting the definitions in Section VII. All content has been reviewed, refined, and approved by Zendegi Press.

II. Scope & Application

  • Applicability: This policy applies to all departments (including employees and contractors) within the organization, as well as our work with external partners and clients.

  • Technology Covered: Generative AI, large language models, predictive AI, image AI, transcription AI, and analytics.

  • Usage Conditions: Applies to all access and use of AI tools for Zendegi Press purposes, on corporate or personal devices, whether in the office or working remotely.

  • Approval: Zendegi Press permits the use of approved AI tools for work-related activities strictly in accordance with this policy. Approval conditions are determined by Zendegi Press’s Chief Operating Officer and are updated periodically. Users must consult this policy regularly to ensure compliance.

  • Supplements: This policy operates in conjunction with other Zendegi Press policies, procedures, and department-specific guidelines.

III. Core Policy Principles

1. Care

  • Human-Centric Approach: We consider the human and environmental impact of AI and ensure humans oversee all engagement. AI is used to augment—not replace—human creativity, authorship, skill, judgment, and expertise.

  • Critical Decisions: Editorial, content, marketing, and business strategy decisions always involve human review, verification of source integrity and accuracy, and formal approval.

  • Ethical Standards: On any approved AI platform, we safeguard against inaccurate information, misleading representations, harmful interactions, and discriminatory content.

  • Environmental & Social Awareness: We make informed decisions regarding the capital- and energy-intensive infrastructure required to power generative AI, ensuring our platform choices promote diversity, accessibility, and fairness.

  • Data Privacy: We protect user data, confidentiality, and copyright against misuse.

2. Curiosity

  • Continuous Review: We regularly review our AI policy, strategy, and tools to stay informed of industry developments.

  • Training & Due Diligence: We provide ongoing education for employees on responsible AI use. Employees must consult their manager to propose new AI platforms for organizational approval.

3. Creativity and Excellence

  • Human Authorship: All creative work we publish—writing, design, graphics, and illustrations—is created by humans. We do not use AI-generated material in our published work.

  • Supportive Tool Only: AI is used as a companion to our creative processes rather than a replacement, maintaining our high standards of quality and accuracy.

  • Imagery Restrictions: We do not use AI-generated images in the interiors or on the covers of our books.

  • Author Responsibility: Zendegi Press authors must fact-check any AI-assisted output used in their work, ensuring it complies with laws, third-party intellectual property rights, and company policies.

4. Integrity

  • Data Protection: We comply with data privacy regulations and do not upload sensitive information (such as confidential, proprietary, personally identifiable, medical, financial, or legal data) to AI platforms.

  • Copyright Compliance: We secure express written permission before uploading third-party content to AI tools and prohibit platforms from using uploaded material for training data.

  • Auditing: We regularly audit approved AI systems for bias, fairness, transparency, and compliance with privacy, employment, human rights, and safety laws.

5. Partnership

  • Transparency: We maintain full transparency regarding the use of AI in our processes.

  • Client Disclosures: Authors and clients must disclose any use of AI in manuscript creation (including tools used, tasks assigned, and timelines) to their publisher, editor, or project manager.

  • Copyright Page Notices: Where AI assists in book development (while maintaining primary human authorship), an AI disclosure statement appears on the copyright page. Marketing and promotional content created with AI support must also feature consumer-facing disclosures.

IV. Employee Training, Guidelines, & Monitoring

  • Mandatory Training: All employees must complete training on this policy prior to using any approved AI tool for work purposes.

  • Proper Performance: AI tools must supplement—never substitute—the proper performance of an employee’s duties.

  • Record Keeping: Employees must maintain records of AI usage, including prompts, outputs, verification steps, and human contributions to establish copyright protection.

  • Prohibited Uses: AI cannot be used to conduct illegal activities, interfere with job performance, generate harassing or discriminatory content, or damage Zendegi Press’s reputation. Personal use of AI on company IT systems is strictly prohibited.

  • Monitoring & Violations: Zendegi Press reserves the right to monitor all content and prompts on company systems. Violations of this policy must be reported promptly to management and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

V. Policy Review and Updates

This AI policy is reviewed and updated at least annually to reflect technological advancements, legal changes, and evolving best practices. Zendegi Press will notify relevant parties of any amendments.

VI. Contact

For any questions or concerns regarding this AI policy, please contact: Chief Operating Officer: Gabrielle Narsted

VII. Definitions

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): Technologies enabling computers to perform tasks requiring human intelligence, including pattern recognition, language understanding, and problem-solving.

  • Generative Artificial Intelligence: AI systems that create new content (text, images, audio, video) based on trained datasets. Examples include Claude, ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Gemini.

  • Large Language Model (LLM): AI systems trained on vast text quantities to generate and analyze human-like language (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude).

  • Predictive AI: Systems that analyze existing data to forecast outcomes or identify patterns without generating creative content (e.g., Azure Machine Learning).

  • AI-Assisted Content: Material created by a human with AI support for brainstorming, outlining, or research, where the human remains the primary creator.

  • AI-Generated Content: Content created wholly or primarily by an AI system. Because it typically lacks copyright protection, it cannot be published as original creative work by Zendegi Press.

  • Significant AI Contribution: Any use of AI influencing the structure, meaning, or argument of content, which must be fully disclosed and reviewed.

  • Content Intended for Publication: Material expected to appear in books, articles, or marketing assets, which cannot be AI-generated unless significantly transformed by a human creator and approved.

  • Training Data: Information used to teach AI systems. Zendegi Press prohibits uploading third-party copyrighted material without express permission.

  • Sensitive Content: Private, confidential, or legally restricted information that must never be uploaded to AI platforms.

  • Copyrightable / Human Authorship: The legal principle requiring original expression to be produced by human skill and judgment, substantiated by meaningful creative input.