PLAYBOOK 03

Your First AI Use Case, from Idea to Approved Pilot

Turn a promising AI idea into a small, safe pilot and a one-page case your manager can say yes to, in one visit.

About 30 minutes · Done in one visit · No sign-up, and your answers stay in your browser

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WHAT YOU'LL LEAVE WITH

  • A one-page pilot proposal, written in the order an approver reads it.
  • A measurement plan, with today's baseline and what success would look like.
  • A short risk list, with a control and an owner for each risk.
  • Answers to the questions your approver will probably ask, saved together as one PDF pack.

BEFORE YOU START

Have these ready:

  • An idea for where AI could help your team, even a rough one.
  • A rough idea of how often the work happens and how long it takes.
  • The name of the AI tool your organisation has approved, if there is one.

Best done on a computer. You don't need any AI tool open for this one.

Step 1 of 6

Most that stall were the wrong first pilot, not the wrong technology. A quick check now saves weeks later.

Q1 Is most of the work reading, writing, summarising or finding information in documents?
Q2 Would the AI make or shape decisions about individual people, such as hiring, pay, performance or access to services?
Q3 Could a person check every AI output before it's used, during the pilot?
Q4 Is there someone who could approve a small pilot, such as your manager or a budget holder?

FROM THE FIELD

A NOTE ON EXAMPLES: The example uses a fictional organisation and illustrative figures. Your numbers will depend on your work and your tools. This playbook isn't legal advice; check your organisation's policies and, where needed, get specialist advice.

By Leila Fielding

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