Before you can use Cohere's API to build a product, you must tell Cohere what you are building and get their approval — and you must write down the potential harms your application could cause.
This provision indirectly protects end users by requiring developers to proactively assess and document the harms their AI-powered applications could cause before those applications reach consumers.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Mandatory Use-Case Disclosure and Approval and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →This creates a gatekeeping mechanism that gives Cohere significant discretionary power to deny or revoke API access, which could affect any business that relies on Cohere's infrastructure.
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: The harm-documentation requirement aligns with EU AI Act Art. 9 (risk management systems for high-risk AI) and Art. 13 (transparency obligations), enforced by national market surveillance authorities; it also engages FTC Act Section 5 on unfair or deceptive practices where undisclosed harms affect consumers, enforced by the FTC. (2)
Compliance intelligence locked
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Watcher: regulatory citations. Professional: full compliance memo.