Privacy|Cookies|Responsible AI
We practice the governance we teach.
Everything you need to know about what this site collects, where it goes, how long we keep it, how we use AI, and how to get your information back. Plain language first, formal policies below, all mapped to the four standards we advise on.
Who is accountable
Dr. Alexis S. Smith, Founder & CEO
An AI governance strategist who holds this site to the same standards she brings to clients. She personally owns these policies and answers every privacy request.
Where your data goes
Every place you can share information
What is collected, who handles it, why, and how long it is kept.
| Touchpoint | What we collect | Who handles it | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Governance Readiness Diagnostic | Name, work email, organization, role, sector, your answers, scores, and consent choiceResults are calculated in your browser by fixed scoring rules, not AI. | Our secure website host receives the form and delivers it to our assessments inbox | To send your report and recommend the right service | 24 months, or the length of an engagement |
| Diagnostic completion log | Sector, scores, and answers only. No name or email. | Our secure website host | To understand which governance gaps are most common | 24 months |
| PDF report | Nothing new. Built on your device. | Your browser only | So you can keep and share your results | Stays with you |
| ROI Calculator | Nothing. All inputs stay in your browser. | Your browser only | To estimate potential savings | Not stored |
| Payments and deposits | Billing name, email, and payment details | A PCI-compliant payment processor on its own secure page. We never see or store your card number. | To process purchases, deposits, and receipts | Receipts kept 7 years for tax records |
| Booking a call | Name, email, time zone, meeting time | Our scheduling and video meeting services, on their own sites | To schedule and hold your session | As long as needed to deliver the session |
| Email to us | Whatever you choose to send | Our business email provider | To respond to you | 24 months, or the length of an engagement |
| AI Power Gap™ Academy, newsletter, and video | Account details you give those platforms | Our learning community, professional network, and video platforms, on their own sites under their own policies | To deliver courses, the newsletter, and episodes | Set by each platform |
| Visiting any page | Standard server logs (IP address, browser, pages requested) | Our secure website host | Security and keeping the site running | Short-term, per the host's log retention |
Never: sold, shared for cross-context behavioral advertising, or used to train AI models. A full list of our service providers is available on request.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
In short: we collect only what you give us or what the site needs to run, we use it only to serve you, and you can ask us to see, correct, or delete it at any time.
1. Who we are
Ascend AI NOW, LLC ("Ascend AI NOW," "we," "us") operates www.AscendAINOW.com from Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Alexis S. Smith is accountable for this policy. Contact: info@ascendainow.com.
2. Information we collect
- Information you provide: name, work email, organization, role, sector, diagnostic answers, and anything you include in an email or booking.
- Purchase information: handled by our payment processor on its own secure page. We receive confirmation of payment, not your card number.
- Technical information: standard server logs kept by our website host for security. We do not run analytics or advertising trackers.
3. How we use it, and our legal basis
- To deliver your diagnostic report and respond to your request (your request and consent).
- To provide services you purchase (performance of a contract).
- To keep the site secure and working (legitimate interest).
- To meet tax, accounting, and legal duties (legal obligation).
We do not sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, use it for automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects, or use it to train AI models.
4. Who receives it
Only service providers working on our behalf, in these categories: website hosting and form delivery, business email, secure payment processing, scheduling and video meetings, and our online learning community. Each may use your data only to provide its service to us. You may ask for the names of these providers at any time.
5. International visitors
We serve clients worldwide. Information is processed in the United States. Where the law requires it, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers.
6. Retention and security
Lead and inquiry data is kept for 24 months unless you become a client. Client records are kept for 7 years for tax and contract purposes. Access is limited to people who need it, accounts use multi-factor authentication, and data is encrypted in transit.
7. Children
This site is for adults and organizations. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. K-12 work is contracted with districts and their leaders, not students.
8. Changes
We post the effective date at the top of this page and notify active clients of material changes.
Cookie Policy
Cookie Policy
This site sets no analytics or advertising cookies today. The only storage it uses remembers your cookie choice. Fonts and tools load from our own site, so visiting a page does not contact outside services. If we ever add optional tools, they load only after you opt in, and Global Privacy Control signals count as an opt-out.
| Category | What it does | Name and duration | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Remembers your consent choice so the banner does not reappear | ascend-consent (browser storage) until you clear it or change your choice | Always on |
| Analytics | Anonymous visit counts to improve content | Not in use today | Off until you opt in |
| Marketing | Measuring campaigns | Not in use today | Off until you opt in |
Change your choice any time with the Cookie settings button at the bottom of every page, or . Links to payment, scheduling, learning, newsletter, and video sites take you to those services, which set their own cookies under their own policies.
Responsible AI Use Statement
How we use AI in our own work
Measured against our own Framework for Responsible AI: Diagnose, Govern, Architect, Deploy, Scale.
A person signs off
Every recommendation, report, and deliverable is reviewed and approved by Dr. Smith. AI assists; a person is responsible.
No training on your data
Confidential client information goes only into approved, business-grade AI tools with data protections, and is never used to train AI models.
No hidden bots
This site has no AI chatbot. If we add one, it will tell you it is AI the moment you start a conversation. The diagnostic uses fixed scoring rules, not AI.
AI-assisted visuals are labeled
Some graphics on this site were created with AI tools and reviewed by a human before publishing.
No inflated results
We do not publish AI performance or outcome claims we cannot support. Sample dashboards are labeled as samples.
An approved tool register
We keep an internal register of approved AI tools, their purpose, and the data each may receive, and review it at least twice a year.
Standards crosswalk
Mapped to the four standards we advise on
How the practices on this page align with NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, the EU AI Act, and SOC 2. This shows alignment, not a certification or audit opinion.
| Our practice | NIST AI RMF 1.0 | ISO/IEC 42001:2023 | EU AI Act | SOC 2 (Trust Services Criteria) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A named person is accountable for privacy and AI use | GOVERN 2: accountability structures | Clause 5 Leadership; Annex A.3 Internal organization | Art. 4 AI literacy | CC1 Control environment |
| Published policies for privacy, cookies, and AI use | GOVERN 1: policies and processes | Clause 5.2 AI policy; Annex A.2 Policies related to AI | Art. 50 transparency obligations | CC2 Communication; P1 Notice |
| Data map: what is collected, why, and for how long | MAP 1: context is established | Annex A.7 Data for AI systems; A.8 Information for interested parties | Art. 50 transparency obligations | P3 Collection; P4 Use, retention, and disposal |
| Opt-in cookies, equal reject button, Global Privacy Control honored | MEASURE 2.10: privacy risk is examined | Annex A.8 Information for interested parties | Works alongside GDPR and ePrivacy consent rules | P2 Choice and consent |
| No chatbot without disclosure; AI-assisted visuals labeled | GOVERN 4: communication of AI risks | Annex A.8 Information for interested parties | Art. 50 disclose AI interaction and generated content | CC2 Communication |
| Human review of every AI-assisted deliverable | MANAGE 4: monitoring and response | Annex A.9 Use of AI systems | Art. 14 human oversight principles | CC4 Monitoring activities |
| Approved AI tool register; no training on client data | GOVERN 6 and MANAGE 3: third-party risk | Annex A.10 Third-party and customer relationships | Art. 26 deployer obligations (as a principle) | CC9.2 Vendor risk; C1 Confidentiality |
| Rights requests answered within 30 days | GOVERN 5: engagement with affected parties | Annex A.8 Information for interested parties | Works alongside GDPR data subject rights | P5 Access; P8 Monitoring and enforcement |
| Retention limits, least-privilege access, encryption in transit | MEASURE 2.7: security and resilience | Annex A.4 Resources for AI systems; A.7 Data for AI systems | Art. 15 accuracy, robustness, cybersecurity (as a principle) | CC6 Logical access; P4 Retention and disposal |
| Policies reviewed at least twice a year | GOVERN 1.5: ongoing review | Clause 9 Performance evaluation; Clause 10 Improvement | Art. 72 post-market monitoring (as a principle) | CC4 Monitoring activities |
Terms of Use
Terms of Use
Using this site
Content on this site, including the Ascend AI NOW™ Framework for Responsible AI, the AI Power Gap™ materials, and the free diagnostic, is general information. It is not legal, financial, or compliance advice for your specific situation, and the diagnostic is a self-reported directional read, not an audit or certification.
Intellectual property
The Ascend AI NOW name and logo, AI Power Gap™, Close the AI Power Gap™, the five-stage framework, the AI Power Gap™ Readiness Index, Dr. Lex Talks Tech, and Ascend AI NOW Publishing works are owned by Ascend AI NOW, LLC. You may share links and short excerpts with credit. Reuse in AI training data, products, or paid programs requires written permission.
Purchases and engagements
Prices and scope are shown before you pay, and you agree to these terms when you complete a purchase. Paid engagements are governed by a signed agreement. Speaking engagements are held with a 50% non-refundable deposit, with the balance due 30 days before the event. Academy memberships renew monthly and can be cancelled online at any time, effective at the end of the billing period.
Limits
The site is provided as is. To the extent the law allows, Ascend AI NOW is not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from use of the site's free content.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina. Questions: info@ascendainow.com.
Your rights
Your rights, in one email
Ask to see, correct, download, or delete your information, learn exactly who received it, or opt out of any use. We respond within 30 days and never charge for it.