Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming part of how employees work. From employee-led initiatives to company-wide changes, AI is a part of everyday use. Yet many organizations still have not set clear expectations for how employees should use it. LRN’s recently published 2026 Code of Conduct Report found that fewer than 1 in 10 analyzed codes of conduct explicitly address AI or technology ethics. As employees continue to turn to AI for everything from drafting and research to analysis and decision-making, a growing gap emerges between how work is changing and the guidance employees receive.

As one of the primary documents in an employee’s onboarding process, and throughout their career at an organization, the code of conduct is often overlooked when businesses think about responsible AI use. Yet it can provide a foundation for how employees are expected to approach new technology and help close that gap.

Nearly all employees polled in the Code of Conduct Report say their organization requires them to certify or acknowledge the code, giving companies an established channel for communicating expectations. Yet formal acknowledgment does not necessarily translate into everyday use, and data shows the number of employees using the code is declining. Of the employees polled, 63% say they have used their code as a resource, down from 70% in 2025, and only about 1 in 4 say they use it often or very often outside formal training.

For learning leaders, this creates an opportunity to make AI guidance part of how employees learn to navigate new technology at work. Adding AI to the code is a starting point. The larger task is helping employees understand what responsible AI use looks like in the situations they encounter every day.

Start With Clear Expectations

A code of conduct should help employees answer a simple question: What does responsible behavior look like here? That question becomes harder to answer when employees are using a technology that can produce an answer in seconds but may not make clear whether that answer is accurate, appropriate or safe to use.

AI guidance should give employees a foundation for making those judgments. That means setting expectations around how company information is handled, when AI-generated work needs to be reviewed and where human judgment still matters. The goal is not to write a rule for every possible use of AI. It is to give employees enough direction to recognize when a situation requires a closer look.

That distinction matters as AI moves into more parts of the workplace. The employee using AI to draft a routine email may face very different considerations from someone using it to analyze sensitive information or inform a business decision. A code cannot anticipate every scenario, but it can establish the principles employees should carry with them as those scenarios change.

Clear expectations also give employees something to build on. When people understand what responsible use looks like, training and everyday conversations can focus on applying those expectations rather than starting from scratch each time a new tool appears.

Make Guidance Part of How People Learn

Putting AI guidance into the code gives employees a place to find it, but a policy alone cannot teach people how to apply it. Responsible use becomes clearer when employees have opportunities to work through the kinds of situations they may likely encounter.

Among employees who receive code training, nearly all say it helps them understand how to use the code. That makes training an important opportunity to bring AI guidance into the broader conversation around ethics and conduct, rather than treating it as a separate topic.

The most useful learning will also leave room for personal judgment. An employee may understand that sensitive information should not be entered into an AI tool, for example, but what happens when they are unsure whether a particular piece of information is sensitive? Or when an AI tool produces an answer that seems reasonable but cannot be easily verified? Those moments require more than a rule. Employees need to know when to pause, ask questions and make a considered decision.

That learning also has to continue beyond formal training. Only about 3 in 5 employees polled in the study say their manager talks about the code, leaving an important role for ongoing conversations about how expectations apply as technology and workplace practices change. When employees have opportunities to discuss responsible AI use, they can better understand how the organization expects them to approach situations where the answer is not always obvious.

Give Employees a Clear Path When Questions Arise

Even with clear guidance and training, employees will encounter situations where the right response is not immediately obvious. AI can make those moments more common as new tools and use cases emerge. Employees need to know where to turn when they are unsure.

Nearly all of the codes LRN analyzed provide reporting resources, but only about 2 in 5 explain investigation procedures. Although more than half of employees say they are confident they can report misconduct without retaliation, having a reporting channel does not automatically mean employees will feel comfortable using it.

The same principle applies to AI. Employees should know how to ask questions and raise concerns without feeling that doing so means they have done something wrong. Managers and leaders can reinforce that expectation by empowering employees to have those conversations as AI becomes part of everyday work.

The goal is to give employees the confidence and judgment to make responsible decisions as AI use cases change. When AI guidance becomes part of how people learn, ask questions and make decisions, responsible use becomes easier to carry into everyday work.