BOSTON — Social media influencer Braden Peters, known online as “Clavicular,” has been criminally charged in Massachusetts with raping a 17-year-old girl who told police she became heavily intoxicated after he gave her alcohol at his family’s Cape Cod home, according to court records reviewed by multiple news organizations.

Peters, 20, faces one count of rape, one count of administering a substance for sexual intercourse and one count of procuring alcohol for a person under 21, stemming from an alleged incident on May 23, 2025, in Chatham, Massachusetts. A clerk-magistrate found probable cause for the charges on September 4, and a criminal complaint was formally issued on September 8. The rape and drugging charges are felonies under Massachusetts law, while the alcohol-procurement charge is a misdemeanor.

According to the criminal complaint, the accuser told investigators she began communicating with Peters on Instagram, and that the two developed an online working relationship after he offered to help build her social media presence, later paying her to appear in “looksmaxxing” videos he streamed online. The complaint states that Peters arranged transportation for her to travel to his family’s residence in Chatham, a seaside town at the southeastern tip of Cape Cod, where she was greeted by his mother and grandmother upon arrival before going to his bedroom, where the two livestreamed together while drinking alcohol. According to a police report, the accuser said Peters knew she was 17 years old but instructed her to tell viewers of the livestream that she was 18 and that the vodka he had given her was actually water.

Peters, who lives in Florida and has not been taken into custody, is scheduled to be arraigned in Orleans District Court on October 14. His publicist did not immediately respond to requests for comment from multiple news outlets following the charges becoming public. A representative for Peters, in a statement obtained by NBC News, downplayed initial reporting on the charges and claimed Peters had not yet been formally served with an arrest warrant at the time.

Andrew Moss, an attorney representing the teenager, offered a brief statement when asked for comment. “We are not commenting at this time since the proper authorities are handling this,” Moss said.

The criminal charges follow a civil lawsuit filed against Peters in Florida earlier this year, which was later amended in June to include allegations of sexual battery tied to the same Cape Cod encounter described in the criminal complaint. That lawsuit separately alleges Peters later injected the accuser with a fat-dissolving substance during a subsequent livestream without her consent. The four-count civil complaint includes allegations of battery, fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and unauthorized use of the accuser’s name and likeness. It remains unclear from currently available court documents whether the woman named in the civil lawsuit is the same individual identified as the accuser in the criminal case, though a police report reviewed by The New York Times indicates the criminal charges stem from the same May 2025 incident described in the civil filing.

Peters’ attorneys have denied the allegations underlying the civil lawsuit, stating in a July court filing that the encounter was consensual and characterizing the lawsuit as an attempt to generate publicity. Peters has separately denied the criminal allegations, reposting images and videos on social platform X that he said documented his interactions with the accuser as part of his public response to the charges.

Peters built a substantial online following as the most prominent public face of “looksmaxxing,” an online trend focused on pursuing traditional physical attractiveness through often extreme methods. The practice traces its origins to the “involuntary celibate,” or “incel,” online subculture, a community made up primarily of men who believe society unfairly denies them romantic or sexual attention. Peters livestreams his daily activities on a near-continuous basis, frequently broadcasting from parties, clubs and social outings, drawing his largest followings on TikTok, Instagram and the streaming platform Kick, where he has amassed more than 400,000 followers.

This is not the only legal matter Peters has faced in recent months. He was arrested in Florida in March on a battery charge connected to a separate incident that occurred in February, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, which said it conducted its own investigation into that alleged battery.

If convicted on the rape charge in Massachusetts, Peters could face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to reporting on the case. The charges against Peters were first publicly reported by The Bulwark on Monday, ahead of broader coverage by national outlets including The Associated Press, CBS News and NBC News.

With Peters’ arraignment scheduled for next month and the parallel civil lawsuit still pending in Florida, the case is likely to continue drawing scrutiny both for its legal proceedings and for its implications within the broader online “looksmaxxing” community that Peters helped popularize.

They are opening up learning possibilities that are beyond classrooms, printed manuals, and occasional workshops. These digital platforms that we are already using at work, now can help employees learn, communicate, collaborate, and access training resources.

Digital communication tools in a modern corporate environment are as important as the physical foundation of a traditional office.  For instance, a mid-sized corporate consulting firm with 250 employees spread across three regional offices and home locations needs to upskill 40 project managers for PMP certification. The traditional approach, flying everyone to headquarters for an intensive 4-day classroom workshop, is cost-prohibitive and causes major billable-hour disruptions.

As a result, deploying an integrated digital tech stack is a great, cost-effective way for Learning and Development teams to structure a great learning experience that reduces downtime and overhead expenses while significantly increasing knowledge retention.

Why Is Digital Communication Important in Corporate Training?

Quite often, Corporate training programs need employees to be present in the same location at the same time, and this can be a hassle. The use of digital communication in corporate training removes these limitations. Employees can join a virtual session, ask questions through chat, access recorded lessons, and continue discussions after the training session. This is particularly relevant as businesses manage hybrid and distributed teams.

Microsoft research also shows how central digital communication has become to modern work. Its Work Trend Index found employees spend a significant amount of their working time communicating via meetings, email and chat. For training teams, this creates an opportunity to integrate learning into existing workplace communication rather than treating training as a separate activity. Digital communication in corporate training bridges geographic division and speeds up skill development.

Key Digital Communication Tools for Corporate Training

Different tools serve different stages of the learning process. A strong corporate training program strategy usually combines several technologies instead of relying on one platform.

1. Learning Management Systems (LMS)

An LMS, also known as a Learning Management System, provides a central location for managing your employee training programs and their overall work. Today, businesses use an LMS to assign courses, store learning materials, track work, conduct assessments, monitor employee progress and manage certifications. An LMS can also give L&D teams useful data about participation and learning activity.
Example: Cornerstone, Docebo, Canvas

2. Virtual Classrooms and Video Conferencing

Platforms for video conferencing using tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex allow trainers to conduct virtual corporate training.  For example, if your managers are working in different branches of the same company, then they might need the same training. Asking them to come to the same location is possible but difficult. It might need a bigger plan and budget. However, opting for digital tools can make a training program much easier by providing virtual classrooms. They also feature screen sharing, breakout rooms, polls, chat, and recordings that can make online training sessions more interactive.

Microsoft report from 2025 indicates that 72% of respondents pointed out learner engagement as an issue in virtual instructor-led training (VILT). Therefore, this means forming a plan for virtual sessions with an emphasis on interaction and not lengthy presentations.

Example: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex

3. Teamwork Tools

Teamwork tools can push the learning activities further than planned. Employees can create a shared workspace where they can communicate about tasks, Share tools, Work on projects together, ask questions, Exchange ideas, and continue discussing things after the lessons. This enables teamwork in the workplace.

Example: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Slack Huddles

4. Instant Communication Tools

Instant communication tools keep trainers and learners continuously connected. An L&D team can establish a dedicated training channel to share course notifications, study materials, assignment updates, daily tips, and quick motivation.

For example, during a company-wide Microsoft 365 rollout, the L&D team can set up an MS Office Training channel on Microsoft Teams or Slack to deliver bite-sized learning, answer real-time questions, and support employees throughout the transition.

5. Webinars and Recorded Sessions

Webinars can help businesses deliver training to larger groups without requiring everyone to be physically present. Recorded sessions also allow employees to revisit complex topics when needed. This is particularly useful for organisations with different schedules, locations, or time zones.

6. Microlearning & Mobile Platforms

The microlearning and mobile platforms help with daily refresher training, deskless/field worker onboarding, and safety quizzes. These digital communication and Mobile platform tools feature bite-sized lessons, gamified quizzes, push notifications, and offline access.

Example: Axonify, TalentCards and 7Taps.

7. Interactive Video & Authoring

Tools for creating engaging, interactive video-based learning experiences. Features may include in-video quizzes, interactive branching scenarios, screen recording, and simulation-based activities. These digital tools can be used for self-paced video tutorials, soft-skill simulations, software walkthroughs, product demonstrations, and scenario-based learning.

Examples: Loom, Articulate 360, Camtasia

8. Digital Whiteboards & Ideation

Collaborative visual workspaces that enable teams to brainstorm, organise ideas, create diagrams, and solve problems together in real time. The digital whiteboards are used in Design-thinking workshops, brainstorming sessions, mind mapping, collaborative problem-solving, project planning, and visual strategy sessions.

Examples: Miro, Mural, Lucidspark

How Do Digital Communication Tools Improve Corporate Training

The effectiveness of digital communication tools in corporate training lies not only in providing more opportunities but also in delivering a better-structured and more engaging experience and ensuring the sustainability of the learning process and its accessibility regardless of the employees’ locations.

• More Accessible Employee Training

Using digital communication tools ensures that the training materials are accessible to all participants regardless of their location or device. This is an advantage for remote employees and those working in the field, as well as for businesses with multiple locations.

• Faster Communication and Feedback

With instant chat tools available in most collaboration software, employees can learn more because they do not need to wait for the next stage of the training or classroom to ask a clarifying question. Moreover, the possibility to get immediate feedback from the trainer makes it easier to refocus on the topic if something was misunderstood.

• Greater Employee Engagement

Digital communication tools give more opportunities for involvement, such as voting, quizzes, assignments, peer reviews, and others. However, the quality of engagement depends on how the software is used. Thus, it is important to plan the software usage properly to get the most out of it.

• Sustainability of Learning

Digital communication tools contribute to learning continuity through the ability to continue discussing the topic after the scheduled training sessions. It also implies that employees will be provided with additional materials and that they can further engage in the learning process actively.

• Remote and Hybrid Learning Opportunities

The ability to conduct virtual classrooms enables conducting trainings for employees in various locations, which ultimately makes the learning process more accessible for remote and hybrid teams.

How Businesses Can Use Digital Tools for Employee Training

Technology should support a clear learning strategy. Businesses can use digital communication tools at different stages of a training program.

Before Training: To share information, such as the schedule, materials, and learning objectives, with emails, messaging platforms, or the LMS (learning management system)

During Training: To engage participants, boost productivity and interactivity, using virtual classrooms, video conferencing, polls, chats, and collaborative activities

After Training: To share additional resources, provide assessments, record the session, and offer feedback with LMS or collaboration tools

Between training: To keep the conversation going and encourage self-learning and peer-to-peer mentoring. The tools suggested include discussion boards and knowledge repositories.

The tools foster an ecosystem that supports an always-learning culture. By doing that, they help transform a discrete experience (training) into an extended process (development).

The Future of Digital Communication in Corporate Training

Workplace learning is moving towards a future where individuals will constantly acquire, develop, and update their skills with the help of technology. According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2025, 49% of L&D professionals polled said that their executives are concerned that their workforce lacks the skills needed to execute the company’s strategy. The report highlighted artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted learning, skills graph, and personalised development as three areas that represent the future of learning.

This means that the future of corporate learning is likely to be driven by LMS (learning management system), virtual classrooms, collaboration tools, and AI-powered platforms that leverage data analytics to recommend skills. But ultimately, the focus has to remain on the learning outcome and not the tool itself.

Conclusion

Digital communication tools have become an important part of modern corporate training. Learning management systems organise learning, virtual classrooms bring together scattered teams, collaboration tools enable knowledge sharing, and messaging tools keep employees in touch throughout the educational process.

For businesses, the opportunity is to create training that is more accessible, interactive, and continuous. The most effective approach is not to use every available technology. But selecting a digital communication tool stack for your corporate training needs should be based on employee needs, training objectives, and business requirements.

As workplace skills continue to evolve, organisations that combine effective training strategies with the right digital learning tools can create a more connected and adaptable learning environment and build a resilient workforce.

Author Profile

Neena Raj is an Expert Trainer at Edoxi with over 24 years of experience in employee development, organisational performance, and leadership training. She specialises in HR, soft skills, emotional intelligence, communication, and productivity, helping organisations build future-ready, high-performing teams. An MBA graduate, Certified NLP Trainer, CHRP & CHRM, she has trained professionals at leading organisations, including the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Emirates Airlines, DP World, and Dubai International Hotel.

As many as 3.86 crore Meesho shares changed hands in a block deal at Rs 233 apiece, taking the total value of the transaction to Rs 899.71 crore, ET Now reported.

Meesho shares dropped to an intraday low of Rs 230.94 apiece on the NSE in morning trade, a day after surging nearly 10% after brokerage firm UBS raised its target price on the stock by 24% to Rs 260.

Why UBS is bullish on Meesho share price

UBS maintained its ‘Buy’ rating on the shares of Meesho, and said its target price hike reflects higher medium-term growth estimates and a stronger margin trajectory. While the international brokerage’s FY27 estimates are largely unchanged, it raised its FY29-31 Net Merchandise Value (NMV) estimates by 7-18%, with a similar increase in contribution profit estimates and a 20-40% increase in EBITDA estimates.
Also read | Meesho shares rally after UBS hikes target price by 24%. What’s keeping analysts bullish?

Live Events

Higher NMV forecasts reflect the continued flywheel from sellers (+81% YoY to 1.04 million in Q1FY27), buyers (+29% YoY to 274 million), coupled with rapid expansion in SKUs and logistics partners, UBS said. It added that the larger increase in EBITDA reflects a stronger medium- term margin trajectory, driven by improving ads monetisation and logistics economics.
“Meesho’s focus on value commerce in a low income yet digitally savvy market like India opens a sizeable growth opportunity,” UBS concluded.

What other brokerage say about Meesho share price

Ventura Securities last month initiated coverage on Meesho with a ‘Buy’ call and a target price of Rs 278 apiece. For Meesho, Ventura said India’s e-commerce market is entering a structural growth phase, helped by internet penetration, digital payments and online retail adoption across Tier II, Tier III and rural India. The brokerage said Meesho has built itself as a leading value-commerce marketplace, serving over 274 million annual transacting users and more than 9.61 lakh sellers through a zero-commission, asset-light platform.

CLSA, however, maintained its ‘Underperform’ rating and target price of Rs 150 apiece earlier this month, saying that the stock already reflects overly optimistic expectations for advertising revenue, order growth and logistics savings.

Also read | Bajaj Finance shares jump 3% after UBS upgrades to Neutral, hikes target price while Jefferies screams Buy

Disclaimer: This article has been written by Debaroti Adhikary, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Debaroti Adhikary and his/her ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclaimers here.

Motorola unveiled its next flagship smartphone, the Signature 27, at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit this week, positioning the device as what the company calls the most advanced smartphone it has ever created. Here are ten things to know about the upcoming phone ahead of its expected launch later this year.

First, the Signature 27 is one of the very first smartphones announced with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, the company’s first mobile processor built on a 2-nanometer manufacturing process. The Signature 27 shares that distinction with the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, both unveiled alongside Qualcomm’s chip announcement at the summit. Motorola says the new chipset delivers flagship-level performance alongside significantly more powerful on-device artificial intelligence, gaming and camera capabilities than previous generations.

Second, the Signature 27 introduces a new naming convention for Motorola’s top-tier device lineup. Rather than continuing with a traditional numbered sequence, the company will now name each new Signature model using the final two digits of the coming year, meaning the Signature 27 is positioned as a 2027-era flagship despite launching before the end of 2026. The device serves as the second generation of the Signature line, following the original Motorola Signature, which launched earlier this year running on Qualcomm’s step-down Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip rather than a true flagship processor.

Third, the phone’s design has drawn immediate attention for its unconventional appearance. The Signature 27 features a distinctive sloped camera bump and a brushed textile-inspired finish that several reviewers have compared to furniture rather than typical smartphone materials. Gizmodo’s senior consumer tech editor, Ray Wong, said the design reminded him of both the Nothing Phone 3 and the rumored Google Pixel 11 Pro.

Fourth, the device will be available in two distinct color and finish combinations. A shade called Coal Smoke, sometimes referred to as Pantone Cool Smoke, features a woven “Tactical Weave” texture designed to improve grip. A second option, called Capulet Green, offers a softer, more fashion-inspired brushed textile finish.

Fifth, the Signature 27’s camera system centers on a quad-camera setup anchored by a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 910 main sensor, paired with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens. Motorola has not yet confirmed specifications for the remaining two camera sensors included in the setup, though the company has emphasized improved image stabilization and broader camera capabilities compared with its previous flagship efforts.

Sixth, audio has received a significant upgrade with the Signature 27 becoming Motorola’s first smartphone built in partnership with Danish audio company Bang & Olufsen, marketed as “Audio by B&O.” Motorola has said the partnership draws on Bang & Olufsen’s expertise in sound engineering and its reputation for distinctive product design.

Seventh, the Signature 27 features a substantially upgraded cooling system to manage the demands of its new flagship processor. The phone includes a revamped 3D vapor chamber that Motorola says is roughly 40% larger than the cooling system used in the original Signature model, employing what the company describes as nearly every available form of smartphone thermal management technology short of active liquid cooling, aimed at sustaining performance during extended gaming sessions or on-device AI processing.

Eighth, the new chipset’s AI capabilities extend into specific creative software features built into the Signature 27. The phone will support Gemini Omni, which can transform a written prompt, a set of photos, or existing video footage into a polished, edited video, alongside Lyria, a tool for generating original music and custom soundtracks directly on the device. Motorola has also suggested the new processor’s on-device AI performance could eventually allow the phone to run mid-tier AI coding tools locally, without relying on cloud-based processing.

Ninth, Motorola is backing the Signature 27 with an extended software support commitment, promising seven years of Android operating system updates and security patches, a commitment that places the device among the longer-supported smartphones currently available on the market and reflects a broader industry trend toward longer device support windows.

Tenth, while Motorola has not yet confirmed exact pricing, availability details, or a specific release date, the company has said the Signature 27 is expected to launch in markets worldwide later this year, with a North American launch specifically confirmed for the coming months. That U.S. availability marks a notable shift for Motorola, which skipped the American market entirely with the original Signature model, making the Signature 27 the company’s first true attempt in some time to compete directly against flagship devices from Apple and Samsung in the United States. Given that the original Signature launched at roughly $1,210 in markets where it was available, industry observers expect the Signature 27, described by Motorola as its most advanced device ever, to carry a comparable or higher price point once official pricing is announced.

With Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 also expected to power other anticipated 2027 flagships, including the rumored Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, the Signature 27’s early arrival gives Motorola a head start in bringing the new chipset to market, setting up a closely watched stretch for the company as it works to reestablish a stronger flagship presence in a smartphone market still dominated by Apple and Samsung.

As measles cases in the United States climb to their highest level in more than three decades, public health officials are renewing calls for vaccination and other preventive steps to help slow the spread of a virus considered among the most contagious known to medicine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3,471 confirmed measles cases had been reported across the United States as of September 17, making 2026 the worst year for measles in the country since 1991. The agency has logged 38 new outbreaks so far this year, with 95% of confirmed cases tied to those outbreaks. Utah currently has the largest active outbreak, with more than 500 cases reported, while Pennsylvania has emerged as a newer hot spot in recent weeks. Roughly 93% of measles patients nationally are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status, according to CDC surveillance data, underscoring the central role vaccination gaps have played in driving the current surge.

Health officials point to declining childhood vaccination rates as the primary driver behind the outbreak’s scale. Vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners has fallen from 95.2% during the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in the 2025-2026 school year, leaving an estimated 280,000 kindergartners without documented protection against the virus this year. Researchers have estimated that even a 1% decline in childhood MMR vaccination rates could translate into roughly 17,000 additional measles cases, 4,000 hospitalizations and 36 preventable deaths annually.

Dr. Dave Chokshi, chair of the Common Health Coalition, emphasized the stakes tied to maintaining strong community vaccination levels. “Vaccination is one of the most powerful investments we can make for the health of our children, but when we fail to maintain high vaccination rates, we all pay the price,” Chokshi said. William Moss of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health similarly flagged the unusual pace of this year’s outbreak. “Reaching this milestone is particularly striking because we are only in July, and measles cases are still being reported throughout the country, with outbreaks in Virginia and Pennsylvania,” Moss said, in comments made earlier this year as case totals continued climbing through the summer.

With that backdrop in mind, public health guidance points to several concrete steps individuals and families can take to reduce their risk of measles infection.

The first and most effective step remains vaccination. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles, while a single dose offers roughly 93% protection, according to CDC data. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine MMR vaccination for all children as the primary defense against the virus.

Second, families should follow the CDC’s standard childhood vaccination schedule, which calls for the first MMR dose between 12 and 15 months of age and a second dose between ages 4 and 6, ensuring children reach the full two-dose protection level before entering school.

Third, adults and older children who are unsure of their own vaccination history should check with their healthcare provider or state immunization registry to confirm whether they have documented evidence of measles immunity, since gaps in adult vaccination records are common and can leave people unknowingly at risk.

Fourth, anyone planning international travel, including infants as young as 6 months old, should consult a healthcare provider about receiving an early or additional MMR dose before departure, given that global measles activity has continued rising and unvaccinated travelers face elevated exposure risk in many destinations.

Fifth, individuals who develop symptoms consistent with measles, including high fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes and a distinctive rash that typically begins on the face and spreads downward, should isolate themselves from others and contact a healthcare provider promptly, ideally by phone before visiting in person, to avoid exposing others in a waiting room.

Sixth, given how easily measles spreads, with the CDC noting that up to nine out of ten unprotected people nearby will become infected if exposed to someone with the virus, avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of measles is an important precaution, particularly for infants too young to be vaccinated and people with weakened immune systems.

Seventh, practicing routine hand hygiene, including regular handwashing, can help reduce the risk of picking up the virus from contaminated surfaces, even though measles spreads primarily through airborne respiratory droplets rather than surface contact alone.

Eighth, staying informed about outbreaks in your local area through state and local health department alerts can help residents make more informed decisions about vaccination timing and precautions, particularly in communities currently experiencing active outbreaks such as Utah and Pennsylvania.

Ninth, communities benefit collectively from high overall vaccination coverage, since widespread immunity helps protect infants too young for vaccination and individuals who cannot receive the vaccine for medical reasons, a concept public health officials refer to as community or herd immunity.

Tenth, individuals with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, or those with specific medical conditions should consult their healthcare provider directly about additional precautions or guidance tailored to their individual health circumstances, since vaccination recommendations can vary for people with certain underlying health conditions.

With the CDC warning that continued domestic and international travel is likely to produce additional measles cases in the coming months, and with the United States now at risk of losing the official measles elimination status it achieved in 2000, health officials say maintaining high vaccination coverage remains the single most effective tool available for bringing the current surge under control.

Somewhere between the insurance certificates and the cyber security questions, larger clients have started asking what AI tools their suppliers use, whether client data goes into them, and who signed that off. Most small businesses cannot answer, because nobody ever decided staff simply started using things.

If you supply anyone larger than you, this is arriving. Here is what will be asked and how to be ready, which turns out to be a smaller job than it sounds.

Why this is landing on small suppliers

Large organisations have spent the past two years writing internal AI policies. Those policies do not stop at their own staff.

Governance obligations flow down a supply chain through contracts and due diligence. When a

client commits to controlling where its data goes, it has to ask the same of everyone it sends data to, which includes your firm. The questionnaire is simply that commitment arriving in your inbox.

The mistake is treating it as a technology question. It is a commercial one. Suppliers who cannot answer get delayed, escalated, or quietly dropped from a shortlist.

The questions you should be able to answer

Six come up repeatedly, and none require technical knowledge to answer well.

Which AI tools does your team use? Including the ones nobody approved. This is the hardest

question for most small firms and the one you should answer honestly.

Does any of our data go into them? Client names, documents, spreadsheets, correspondence. Be specific rather than reassuring.

Are our inputs used to train models? Consumer plans and business plans often differ here, and most firms do not know which they are on.

Where is the data processed, and under whose law? Increasingly asked by clients in regulated sectors and by anyone with their own EU or UK obligations.

Who approved it? A named person, not “the team”. Governance questions want an owner.

What happens when someone leaves? If an employee’s personal account holds three years of client work, that is a real exposure and an easy one to describe badly.

Answering “we don’t use AI” is a poor strategy. It is usually untrue, and it is increasingly not believed.

Get your own house in order first

Start by finding out what is actually being used, without making it a disciplinary matter. Shadow

usage almost always exists because the official route was slower than the deadline, and people will tell you if the question is asked neutrally.

Then write a policy that fits on one page. What may go into an AI tool, what may not, which tools are approved, and who to ask. Long policies do not get read and therefore do not change behaviour.

Give each approved tool a named owner responsible for deciding whether it stays. Unowned tools are the ones that turn up in a questionnaire nobody can answer.

Where UK law actually bites

This is less dramatic than headlines suggest, but it is not nothing.

The ICO requires a Data Protection Impact Assessment where processing is “likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons”. Its list of indicators includes the use of innovative technology, invisible processing where data is obtained indirectly, and large-scale profiling. Putting personal data through an AI tool frequently touches at least one.

That does not make AI unlawful. It means you are expected to have thought about the risk and recorded that you did. For most small firms, a short screening assessment covering what data goes in, why, and what could go wrong is proportionate and sufficient.

The failure mode regulators care about is not using AI. It is using it with personal data while having no idea that you are.

Choosing tools with the questionnaire in mind

Once you have seen the questions, tool selection changes shape. The useful criterion is no longer just capability, it is whether you can hand a client a straight answer about the tool’s data terms.

Sometimes that means moving from consumer to business plans on what you already use, which changes the default terms immediately. Sometimes it means choosing an AI assistant for business that does not train on your inputs at all. Often it means neither, and simply keeping client material out of these tools while using them freely for everything else.

Whatever you choose, keep the documentation. The single most useful artifact in a due diligence process is a one-page summary of which tools you use, what data touches them, and where that data goes.

The part that is actually an opportunity

Most of this reads as a burden. It is also a genuine advantage for firms that move early.

Procurement teams at larger organisations are being slowed down badly by suppliers who cannot answer these questions. A small firm that responds inside a day, with a clear one-page document, stands out against competitors who need three weeks and a meeting.

Several sectors are heading toward this becoming a standard rather than a differentiator.

Being early is worth more now than it will be in eighteen months.

What to do this month

Ask your team what they use, without consequences attached. Expect surprises.

Move anyone on consumer plans doing client work onto business plans. This is the highest-value hour in the whole exercise, because it changes the default data terms across the board.

Write the one-page policy and the one-page supplier answer at the same time they contain nearly the same information, aimed at two audiences.

Complete a short DPIA screening for anything touching personal data, and keep it on file.

Diarise a review in six months, because both the tools and the questions will have changed.

The short version

The questions are coming whether or not you are ready, and they are not difficult questions. They are simply questions nobody in your business has been asked before.

An afternoon spent finding out what your team actually uses, followed by two one-page documents, puts you ahead of most of your competitors on something clients are starting to weigh.

Business Matters covers this territory in more depth across its AI and technology sections