Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a critical workplace tool for government agencies to streamline administrative tasks, improve constituent services and accelerate research. But these goals can only be achieved if the teams using it practice good AI hygiene.
AI hygiene is a set of habits and practices that ensure your use of the technology remains safe and effective. It is related to cybersecurity hygiene, a familiar concept that employees are routinely trained on, and which includes recognizing phishing emails, protecting passwords and handling sensitive information appropriately. These practices are important for AI use as well, but there are some additional tactics and habits that are needed to use AI safely and effectively in daily work.
1. Protect Sensitive Information
One of the most important principles of AI hygiene is knowing what information should never be entered into a public AI tool. For this reason, many organizations create private AI models where data entered is not made available to the open Internet. Employees should understand their agency’s policies regarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), personally identifiable information (PII), procurement-sensitive data, classified information and other protected information.
2. Verify AI-Generated Content
Generative AI can produce impressive results, but it can also generate inaccurate or fabricated information. Government employees should treat AI output as a first draft — not a final answer. Always verify facts by running a separate search on the data in a search engine. If provided, check citations to ensure that the AI model drew correct conclusions from the referenced materials. Similarly, validate calculations and review recommendations before incorporating AI-generated content into reports, policies or communications.
3. Learn Effective Prompting
The quality of AI output depends heavily on the quality of the prompt. Employees who learn prompt engineering basics can receive more accurate, relevant and useful responses. Effective prompts clearly define the task, provide context, specify the desired format and identify the intended audience. Prompts also should ask for citations and sources to double-check all outputs. Developing this skill can significantly improve productivity while reducing time spent revising AI-generated work.
4. Recognize Bias and Maintain Human Judgment
AI provides results based on the data it was trained on. Because that data reflects real-world information, it may also reflect historical biases, outdated assumptions or incomplete perspectives. AI should be viewed as a decision-support tool — not a decision-maker. Employees must apply their own expertise and critical thinking to ensure outcomes are fair, accurate and aligned with agency goals and legal requirements. Human oversight helps ensure that AI-generated content is consistent with agency policies, complies with applicable laws and ethical standards, and maintains fairness, transparency and public trust.
5. Understand Agency AI Policies and Governance
Many government organizations are developing AI governance frameworks that establish approved tools, security requirements, documentation standards and human review processes. Employees should stay current on agency guidance and understand when AI use requires additional approvals or documentation.
Supporting AI Hygiene As a Core Workforce Skill
As AI capabilities continue to evolve, the agencies that benefit most will be those that invest in employee education. By building strong AI hygiene habits today, government professionals can improve productivity while protecting sensitive information, maintaining public trust and ensuring AI delivers value in a secure and responsible manner.
As the founder of GovEvents and GovWhitePapers, Kerry is on a mission to help businesses interact with, evolve, and serve the government. With 25+ years of experience in the information technology and government industries, Kerry drives the overall strategy and oversees operations for both companies. She has also served in executive marketing roles at a number of government IT providers.
Photo credit: Sanket Mishra, Pexels
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