AI Transparency Policy

Last updated: September 2, 2026

The short version

No smoke. No mirrors.

I use artificial intelligence in this business. AI helps me research, think, draft, organize, analyze, design, automate, troubleshoot, and build faster. It does not replace my judgment, lived experience, creative direction, accountability, or relationship with my clients.

I remain responsible for the work carrying The Hot Mess Collective name.

How I use AI

Depending on the project, AI may assist with:

• Research, brainstorming, and outlining

• Drafting and editing written content

• Workflow mapping and systems design

• Coding, automation, troubleshooting, and quality assurance

• Organizing and analyzing information

• Developing visual concepts and production directions

• Summarizing material and exploring alternative approaches

The amount and type of assistance varies by project. Some work uses AI heavily behind the scenes. Some uses it minimally. Some does not require it at all.

What stays human

AI does not make final strategic decisions for The Hot Mess Collective or its clients.

Public content and client deliverables are reviewed before they are used or delivered. I determine the direction, apply context, protect the intended voice, challenge weak recommendations, and decide what belongs in the final work.

I do not present an AI system as a licensed professional or treat its output as a substitute for legal, financial, accounting, tax, medical, mental-health, regulatory, or other licensed professional advice.

Client work

Unless we agree otherwise in writing, AI tools may assist with portions of client work. That does not mean a raw AI response is passed off as a finished deliverable.

Client needs, context, strategy, brand standards, approvals, and project agreements remain the foundation of the work. The applicable service agreement or statement of work controls ownership, confidentiality, licensing, approval, and delivery terms for each engagement.

If a project requires an AI-free workflow or restrictions on particular tools or uses, tell me before the work begins. I will confirm whether those restrictions are feasible and whether they affect the scope, timeline, or price.

Confidentiality and sensitive information

I do not intentionally enter passwords, complete payment-card information, government identification numbers, or unnecessary sensitive personal, health, or confidential information into general-purpose AI tools.

When AI is used with client-provided material, I aim to limit the information to what is reasonably necessary and remove identifying details when practical. Clients should not send unnecessary sensitive information through website forms, email, or project systems.

No online platform is risk-free. Any special confidentiality, regulatory, or data-handling requirement must be identified and agreed to in writing before relevant information is shared.

Accuracy, limitations, and bias

AI can be confidently wrong. It can miss context, oversimplify a problem, invent information, and reproduce bias from the material on which it was trained.

I review and correct AI-assisted work, verify important claims against appropriate sources, and increase the level of human review when the stakes are higher. Human review reduces risk, but it does not make every error impossible.

Creative work and disclosure

AI may assist with drafts, concepts, editing, imagery, or production. Final creative direction and decisions remain human-led.

I do not label every instance of routine AI assistance, such as brainstorming, editing, summarization, or research support. I will disclose materially AI-generated or AI-altered media when failing to disclose it could reasonably mislead someone about a real person, event, endorsement, client result, or source of evidence.

I will not fabricate testimonials, client outcomes, credentials, or proof.

Changes to this policy

AI tools, platform practices, and the way I use them will continue to evolve. I may update this policy as those practices change. The current version and its most recent update date will remain available on this page.

Questions or restrictions

Questions about this policy or AI use in a potential engagement can be sent to:

samantha@thehotmesscollective.com

If you have a specific restriction, bring it up before sharing confidential information or beginning the work so we can decide whether the project is a fit.