Six questions before an AI pilot goes live

A pilot benefits from a short review that makes the intended scope explicit. The goal is to surface unresolved decisions while they are still easy to address. These six questions provide a useful agenda for product, engineering, and business owners.

What task is the pilot intended to improve? Define the user, the task, and a useful result. State the workflows that are outside the pilot. This keeps later evaluation connected to the original purpose.

Where does information travel? Trace the data from input through retrieval, model calls, storage, logs, and the resulting output. Identify the fields that are necessary and the places where sensitive information might be copied unnecessarily.

Who can see information and take action? Check the actual permissions at each step. An application should not retrieve a document for a user who could not access it directly. If the system can change records or send messages, define when it requires approval.

What evidence supports readiness? Review representative examples, known failure patterns, and the criteria used to assess them. A persuasive demonstration is useful, but a release decision needs more than a few successful prompts.

What happens when the system cannot complete the task? Walk through unavailable services, unsupported requests, incomplete context, and incorrect output. Give users a clear recovery path and a way to reach the responsible team.

Who owns the pilot after launch? Assign responsibility for feedback, incidents, changes, and the decision to continue. Set a review date and define what would require pausing the pilot.

Keep a concise record of the decisions and open questions. This is an operating checklist for discussion, not a claim of certification or a substitute for the reviews required by an organization's circumstances.