AI Checklist

Quick way to think about whether an AI service is appropriate for the work you're doing, particularly when client or sensitive information is involved.

You shouldn't need an approval process every time you use AI.

This checklist is a quick way to think about whether an AI service is appropriate for the work you're doing, particularly when client or sensitive information is involved.

It considers the whole path your information takes, from the Tool you're using, through the Provider, to the Model, as well as the Data you're sharing, the Security implications and whether the approach is Cost Effective.

If you can't confidently answer something that matters for the work you're doing, find out before providing sensitive or client information. Your PLT is there to help you.

Checklist

Data & Privacy

• Am I allowed to provide this information to this AI service?

• Does it contain client confidential, personal, sensitive or otherwise restricted information?

• Does the client have specific requirements for AI use?

• Am I sharing only what is reasonably needed for the task?

Cost & Effectiveness

• Am I using an appropriate model for the complexity of the task?

• Am I providing more context or making more model calls than reasonably needed?

• If this is automated or agentic, are loops, retries and parallel work appropriately bounded?

• Is the expected cost reasonable for the value of the task?

Security

• Do I understand what the AI can access and what actions it can take?

• Are its permissions, integrations and connectors appropriate for this task?

• Could it access credentials, secrets or systems that it doesn't need?

• Are sensitive, consequential or destructive actions appropriately restricted?

• Am I using MCPs, Skills or Agents that may transmit or call services that may have unknown or restricted behaviours?

Use the checklist when something does change, such as starting a new client engagement, trying a new AI tool or provider, connecting a new service, working with different data or giving an agent additional capabilities.