Terms and Conditions | Steps AI (Aide)

Effective Date: 30 Jan 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the Steps AI (Aide) platform ("Aide")—including any related websites, applications, and services operated by Steps AI, LLC. (collectively, the "Platform")—you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms").

If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must stop using Aide immediately.

Authority & Eligibility

You confirm that:

You are at least 13 years old
If you are under 18, you have obtained parental or legal guardian consent to use Aide
If you are accepting these Terms on behalf of an entity (e.g., a business, organization, or employer), you have the authority to bind that entity

If any of the above conditions do not apply, you may not use Aide.

Additional Terms & Policies

These Terms incorporate additional agreements and policies, including:

Privacy Policy – Describes how Steps AI collects, processes, and protects your data
Subscription Agreement – Governs pricing, payments, and refunds for paid plans
Acceptable Use Policy – Defines prohibited activities and usage restrictions

By using Aide, you also agree to comply with these policies.

Modifications & Updates to Terms

Steps AI reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time due to:

Changes in laws and regulations
Enhancements to Aide's AI capabilities or business practices

If these Terms are updated:

You will receive advance notice via email or in-app alerts
Continued use of Aide after updates means you accept the revised Terms

If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must discontinue use and close your account.

2. License and User Obligations

License Grant

Steps AI grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use Aide for your internal business or personal purposes. This license does not grant ownership rights over any software, AI models, or intellectual property associated with Steps AI.

Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

Modify, copy, distribute, or create derivative works based on Aide
Reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to extract the source code of any part of Aide
Use Aide for any illegal, fraudulent, or harmful activities
Upload, process, or store financial, medical, or other sensitive personal data that requires special regulatory handling
Attempt to bypass security mechanisms or gain unauthorized access to Aide, its servers, or its databases
Interfere with or disrupt network connectivity, system performance, or security controls of the Platform
Use Aide to train other AI models or develop competing technologies without prior written consent

Violation of these restrictions automatically terminates your license to use Aide. Steps AI reserves the right to pursue legal action against users who violate these obligations.

3. User Registration & Accounts

To access certain features, you must:

Register an account using a valid email address and password
Allow Steps AI to process Google login credentials if using Google authentication
Maintain confidentiality of your login credentials
Not share login details or use another person's account without explicit permission
Notify Steps AI immediately at tech@stepsai.co if you suspect unauthorized access

Account Suspension & Termination

Steps AI reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts under the following conditions:

If you provide false, misleading, or incomplete registration information
If you engage in fraudulent activities or security violations
If your account remains inactive for an extended period (subject to our retention policy)

If your account is terminated for violations, you forfeit any access to Aide's services, and all associated data may be permanently deleted.

4. User Content & Data Processing

Data Collection and Processing

By using Aide, you acknowledge and agree that:

Explicitly Uploaded Files (e.g., PDFs, Word documents) are securely stored in AWS data centers in the United States for future processing
Third-Party Integrations (Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce) are processed in real time but are not stored permanently
Chat History is retained to improve user experience of the AIDE platform but does not influence AI responses across different user sessions
Enterprise Users (Highest Tier): If opted in, full database synchronization with Aide is performed periodically for enhanced search and retrieval capabilities

Privacy & Data Security

All stored data is processed under strict access controls, with access limited to authorized personnel only
Certain employees based in India may act as sub-processors under a strict confidentiality framework
Steps AI employs industry-standard encryption to protect your data in transit and at rest
User data deletion requests must be submitted to tech@stepsai.co and will be processed in accordance with GDPR & CCPA

User Responsibilities for Uploaded Data

You retain ownership of your uploaded files and content but grant Steps AI a limited, non-exclusive license to process them only for the intended AI functionalities
You are responsible for ensuring that your uploaded files comply with applicable laws and do not contain regulated or prohibited data
Steps AI is not liable for errors, security risks, or legal violations caused by user-uploaded data
As between the parties, You retain all right, title, and interest (including any intellectual property rights) in and to your Data. You grant to AIDE a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free right to collect, use, modify and process End User Data, including technical logs, account and login information, frequency of logins, the volume and type of data uploaded, feature usage and engagement solely: (i) to provide the Services to You, which may include providing customer support and (ii) to use such data to review user trends and performance, improve and develop AIDE Services, and to generate separate anonymous data sets about product usage and other analytics relating to the Services that do not identify You and that do not contain any persistent identifiers (such as name and email address) ("Aggregate/Anonymous Data"). AIDE shall retain ownership of all Aggregate/Anonymous Data.

5. Third-Party Integrations & Responsibilities

Third-Party Services & Data Processing

Aide integrates with external platforms such as Google Drive, Slack, and Salesforce to enhance its AI-powered functionalities. By connecting third-party accounts, you authorize Aide to access and process data from these services as per your configurations.

Real-Time Processing: Data from third-party integrations is processed in real time but is not permanently stored by Steps AI unless explicitly requested by enterprise users
Enterprise Integrations: Enterprise clients who sync their full databases with Aide may have their data stored with TTL periodically for search optimization
Permissions & Access: Steps AI does not modify or delete data in third-party accounts; it only accesses data in a read-only capacity as per the permissions granted by users

User Responsibility for Third-Party Data

Steps AI does not verify or control the accuracy of data retrieved from external services. Users are responsible for reviewing and ensuring that third-party data accessed through Aide is accurate and up-to-date
If you connect third-party accounts, you agree to comply with the terms and privacy policies of those third-party providers
Users must not misuse integrations to extract, distribute, or manipulate data in violation of privacy laws

Liability & Third-Party Failures

Steps AI is not liable for:

Errors, inaccuracies, or security breaches caused by third-party service providers
Loss of access to third-party services due to provider downtime, revocation of API access, or account restrictions
Legal disputes related to third-party data ownership or misuse

Users should review third-party privacy policies and data-handling terms before enabling integrations.

6. Intellectual Property

Except 3rd-party models and subscriptions, all internal software, AI models, algorithms, content, and intellectual property associated with Aide remain the exclusive property of Steps AI, Inc.

Users do not acquire ownership rights over Aide, its underlying technologies, or its AI-generated outputs
Steps AI retains full control over AI model training, improvements, and system modifications
Any modifications, feedback, or derivative works based on Aide's functionality belong exclusively to Steps AI

User Content Ownership & Limited License Grant

Users retain ownership of their uploaded files, data, and content
By uploading content to Aide, you grant Steps AI a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to process, analyze, and retrieve your data only for AI-powered search, retrieval, and automation functionalities
Steps AI does not claim ownership over user-submitted content and does not share, sell, or distribute it outside the agreed usage terms

Restrictions on Use of Aide's Intellectual Property

You agree not to:

Use Aide to develop competing AI models or AI-powered platforms
Reverse-engineer, decompile, or modify any component of Aide's AI algorithms
Extract, store, or distribute AI-generated insights beyond the intended internal use permitted by Steps AI
Claim ownership over AI-generated outputs produced by Aide in violation of Steps AI's intellectual property rights

Feedback & Suggestions

If you provide feedback, feature requests, or product improvement suggestions, Steps AI has the right to use this feedback without compensation or obligation.

By using Aide, you acknowledge that all AI-powered capabilities are Steps AI's proprietary technology and cannot be replicated, redistributed, or modified without written permission.

7. Limitation of Liability

General Limitation

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Steps AI, Inc., its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and service providers shall not be liable for any damages arising from:

Loss of profits, revenue, business opportunities, data, or goodwill
Service interruptions, errors, or failures beyond Steps AI's reasonable control
Data inaccuracies from third-party integrations (e.g., Google Drive, Salesforce, Slack)
User misuse of Aide, including non-compliance with privacy regulations

Maximum Liability Cap

Steps AI's total liability for any claim related to these Terms or your use of Aide is limited to $100 USD. Steps AI is not liable for incidental, consequential, indirect, punitive, or special damages, even if it has been advised of such risks.

Exclusions

These limitations do not apply to:

Fraud or intentional misconduct by Steps AI
User rights under mandatory consumer protection laws that prohibit such limitations

If your jurisdiction does not allow limitations on liability, some of these terms may not apply to you.

8. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

Applicable Law

These Terms are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Injunctive Relief

Steps AI retains the right to seek injunctive relief (such as preventing unauthorized use of its AI technology) in any jurisdiction without arbitration.

One-Year Limit to File Claims

All claims against Steps AI must be filed within one (1) year of the incident. Claims filed after this period are permanently barred.

9. Subscription & Payment Terms

Subscription Plans & Auto-Renewal

Aide operates on a subscription model.

Paid plans auto-renew unless canceled before the next billing cycle
Users must manage their subscriptions via their account dashboard or by contacting tech@stepsai.co

Payment & Billing

Payments are processed through third-party providers (e.g., Stripe, PayPal).
Users authorize automatic charges for recurring payments.
Failure to pay may result in account suspension or termination.

Refunds & Cancellation Policy

Refunds are only issued for billing errors or service failures directly caused by Steps AI.
No refunds for partial months, unused services, or user cancellations after renewal.
Free trials must be canceled before the trial period ends to avoid charges.

Changes to Pricing & Plans

Steps AI reserves the right to:

Modify pricing with prior notice.
Introduce new plans, features, or limitations.
Discontinue legacy plans with appropriate user migration options. Users will receive advance notice via email or in-app notifications regarding pricing or plan modifications.

10. Termination of Access

Steps AI's Right to Terminate or Suspend Access

Steps AI reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to Aide at any time, with or without notice, if:

You violate these Terms (e.g., unauthorized AI training, data misuse, or security breaches)
You fail to pay subscription fees after multiple billing attempts
Your account is inactive for an extended period (as per our retention policy)
You engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activities on the Platform
Required by law, regulatory action, or government request

User-Initiated Termination

You may terminate your account at any time by:

Logging into your account dashboard and selecting "Delete Account", OR
Contacting tech@stepsai.co with a termination request

If you cancel your subscription:

Your access to paid features will end immediately (unless otherwise specified in a subscription agreement)
Steps AI is not responsible for data loss if you fail to back up your content before termination

Data Deletion upon Termination

Upon termination, all stored data will be deleted permanently unless legally required to retain it (e.g., tax, regulatory, or dispute resolution purposes)
For enterprise accounts, full data removal will follow a 7-day grace period unless a different data retention agreement exists

11. Updates to These Terms

Right to Modify Terms

Steps AI reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time to reflect:

Changes in legal or regulatory requirements
Enhancements or modifications to Aide's AI capabilities, integrations, or security policies
Business decisions, including subscription models, pricing, or service features

Notification of Changes