Responsible and ethical AI in the workplace

For employees, team leaders and policy owners: use AI fairly, openly and accountably, and know when to pause and speak up.

For: All employees, team leaders and policy owners who use, choose or set rules for AI tools at work

  • 2 contact hours
  • 6 modules
  • 9 interactives
  • 4 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Explain why responsible AI matters and apply the NIST AI RMF trustworthy-AI characteristics to everyday workplace uses.
  • Recognize discrimination risks when AI is used in decisions about people, and describe how Title VII and the ADA apply.
  • Decide when and how to disclose AI use, and keep a named person meaningfully accountable for AI-assisted work.
  • Identify copyright and likeness risks in AI-generated content using the US Copyright Office's 2024 to 2025 reports.
  • Recognize harms from deepfakes, misinformation, deceptive AI claims under FTC Act Section 5, and AI's environmental footprint.
  • Apply a structured ethical decision framework to resolve an AI dilemma and raise concerns through the right channel.

This course is about the ethics of everyday AI use at work. You will learn what makes AI trustworthy under the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, how AI tools can discriminate and what Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mean for them, when to disclose AI use, who stays accountable, how copyright applies to AI-generated content, and how deepfakes, misleading AI claims and energy use create real costs. You will finish with a five-question framework for hard calls.

It is written for every employee who uses AI, for team leaders who approve how it is used, and for the people who write AI policies. No technical background is needed.

Ethics training often stays abstract. This course stays concrete: every module starts with a realistic US workplace situation, every legal point names its source and date, and you practice the judgment calls in branching scenarios and dilemmas. You leave with a policy starter, a pre-use ethics checklist, a fairness and disclosure review worksheet and a prompt sheet for responsible use. Data privacy, AI security and formal governance programs are covered in their own courses.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Run the five-question ethics check before using AI on anything that affects a customer, coworker or applicant.
  2. Tell people when AI drafted or decided something that matters to them, in the way your policy requires.
  3. Make sure a named person reviews AI-assisted work before it goes out, and actually reads it.
  4. Stop and ask before using AI-generated images, logos or voice for a client or public campaign.
  5. Remove unsupported "AI-powered" claims from marketing copy before publication.
  6. Raise a concern about a biased or deceptive AI use with your manager, HR or compliance contact.

Curriculum

6 modules · 24 lessons · about 2 contact hours

01Why does responsible AI matter, and what makes AI trustworthy?Free preview14 min
  1. What goes wrong when AI is used carelessly?
  2. What does NIST mean by trustworthy AI?
  3. Whose job is responsible AI?
  4. How do organizations turn principles into practice?
  • Matching activity: Which trustworthy-AI characteristic broke?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

02How can AI lead to discrimination, and what do Title VII and the ADA require?15 min
  1. How does bias enter AI decisions about people?
  2. What do Title VII and the ADA mean for AI tools?
  3. What can you do when you suspect a biased tool?
  4. Where else can AI decisions about people go wrong?
  • Decision tree: Does this AI use need extra fairness review?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

03When should you disclose AI use, and who stays accountable?15 min
  1. When and how should you disclose AI use?
  2. What does "human in the loop" really mean?
  3. How do you keep AI-assisted work accountable?
  4. Is it honest to present AI-assisted work as your own?
  • Self-assessment: How real is your human review?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the accountability and disclosure problems

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

04Who owns AI-generated content, and what are the copyright risks?14 min
  1. Can AI-generated work be protected by copyright?
  2. Could AI output infringe someone else's rights?
  3. What about voices, faces and digital replicas?
  4. How do you use AI for creative work responsibly?
  • Sort activity: Lower or higher copyright and likeness risk?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

05How do deepfakes, false AI claims and AI's energy use cause harm?15 min
  1. How do deepfakes and AI misinformation harm organizations?
  2. What does the FTC say about AI claims and AI washing?
  3. What is AI's environmental footprint, and does it matter for everyday use?
  4. How can AI misinformation slip into your own work?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the problems in a deepfake response
  • Ethics dilemma: The "AI-powered" pitch

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06How do you make an ethical AI decision at work?15 min
  1. What is a practical framework for AI ethics decisions?
  2. How do you speak up about an AI concern?
  3. What do responsible AI habits look like week to week?
  4. Three quick cases: what would you do?
  • Branching scenario: Three AI features at the leasing office

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 23 questions, 70% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

Three AI features at the leasing office

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

Three AI features at the leasing office

You are Ezequiel Zamarripa, managing a leasing office in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Corporate offers an after-hours chatbot, an AI notice drafter and a tenant risk score. You decide how to proceed.

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Matching activity1
  • Decision tree1
  • Self-assessment1
  • Spot the issue2
  • Sort activity1
  • Ethics dilemma1
  • Branching scenario1

Job aids you keep

  • Responsible AI Use Policy StarterPolicy starter
  • AI-Use Checklist: The Five-Question Ethics CheckChecklist
  • Verification Worksheet: Fairness and Disclosure ReviewWorksheet
  • Prompt Sheet for Responsible AI UsePocket card

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It has not been approved or accredited by IACET, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), any licensing board, professional association or state agency, and it does not certify you in any framework. It is general workplace ethics education on AI; it does not replace your employer's AI policy, legal advice or required compliance training. Check with your employer, board or professional body whether this course can count toward your training or continuing education requirements.

Pathways we may pursue include IACET accreditation of our course development process and SHRM recertification provider status for HR professionals. No approval exists today; we will show any approval on this page only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Does this course count for SHRM or other continuing education?

Today it earns a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It is not approved by SHRM, IACET or any licensing board. Some employers accept general training like this toward internal goals, and some professional bodies accept self-reported learning under their own rules, so check before you enroll. We will show any approval on this page only after it is granted.

Who is this course for?

Any employee who uses AI tools, team leaders who decide how their teams use them, and the people who write or update AI policies. It suits HR, marketing, communications, finance, operations and customer-facing roles. No technical knowledge is needed; the course focuses on judgment, fairness, honesty and accountability.

Is this legal training on AI discrimination law?

No. It explains how Title VII, the ADA, the FTC Act and copyright law apply to everyday AI use so you can spot risks and escalate them. It is not legal advice and does not replace counsel. If your organization uses AI in hiring or other decisions about people, involve HR and legal professionals.

How is this different from your other AI courses?

This course focuses on ethics and fairness. AI Foundations for the Workplace covers practical daily use, and separate courses cover AI governance programs, AI data privacy and confidentiality, AI in hiring law and secure use of generative AI. You can take this one on its own.

How long does it take, and how is it assessed?

About two hours, including scenarios, a dilemma, a self-assessment and a 23-question final assessment. You need 70% to pass and can retake it. Passing unlocks a downloadable certificate of completion with the course title, date and 2 contact hours.

How current is the legal content?

Legal and policy references are dated, and the course was last updated in October 2026. AI law, agency guidance and copyright decisions change often, so we review the course at least every 12 months and after major changes.

This course is general education and training awareness on responsible and ethical AI use from CE Courses Hub. It is not legal, technical or professional advice and does not replace your employer's AI policies, your licensing board's rules, or advice from a qualified professional. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.