How We Use AI Tools

Last updated: 9 March 2026 — Version 1.0

At Peter Barry Surveyors some of our surveyors use AI tools to help them work accurately and efficiently. This statement explains what we use, what for, and your rights. It forms part of our terms of engagement.

The tools we use

Claude AI —Used within our Microsoft 365 environment by qualified surveyors to assist with drafting and editing correspondence, professional documents and, where appropriate, as a reasoning aid when working through complex matters. Searches our internal reference library case law, RICS guidance, and firm standards.

Microsoft Copilot — Used within our Microsoft 365 environment by qualified surveyors to assist with drafting and editing correspondence, professional documents and, where appropriate, as a reasoning aid when working through complex matters. Also used to produce notes from Teams meetings and calls.

Goodtape — transcribes recorded calls and meetings.

We only use tools assessed and approved by our leadership team.

What AI does not do

AI does not make professional decisions or sign off work. Where AI is used, all formal professional outputs are reviewed and approved by a named RICS-qualified surveyor who accepts full professional responsibility for them. Routine administrative correspondence may be handled by other members of the team under the supervision of a qualified surveyor.

Data and confidentiality

We take the confidentiality of your information seriously.

• Every AI tool we use has been assessed against our data governance requirements before approval.
• None of the tools we use train on client data or share it with third parties, and training and model improvement settings are disabled on all approved tools.

Goodtape, our transcription tool, is fully GDPR compliant, hosted on servers within the European Union, and independently certified to ISO 27001 — the internationally recognised standard for information security management. Audio files are deleted after transcription by default.

Microsoft Copilot operates within our firm’s Microsoft 365 environment under a data processing agreement with Microsoft, which is GDPR-compliant and has EU data residency confirmed.

Claude AI is used under a data processing agreement with Anthropic via their Teams plan. Anthropic is US-based, and data is processed in accordance with standard contractual clauses, which are a recognised UK GDPR safeguard for international transfers.

Full details of how we collect, use and protect your personal information are set out in our Privacy Notice.

Your rights

Contest or opt out — notify us in writing before work commences and we will confirm in writing what can be accommodated.

Redress — if you consider you have been negatively affected by our use of AI, contact surveying Susan Bradford at surveying@peterbarry.co.uk.

Updates

This statement is reviewed quarterly. The version date above records when it was last updated. We will notify you directly of any material change affecting your active instruction.

Questions? Contact Susan Bradford at surveying@peterbarry.co.uk

Peter Barry Surveyors is regulated by RICS. This statement is maintained in accordance with the RICS Professional Standard on Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Surveying Practice (1st edition, effective 9 March 2026).