Using AI responsibly doesn’t start with a long policy. It starts with asking a few plain questions before anything is switched on. These seven will quickly show whether an idea is ready.
1. What problem are we solving?
Name the task and what better looks like. If the honest answer is “we feel we should be using AI”, stop here. The right first step may be a simpler process.
2. Who is affected, and did we ask them?
Include staff, customers and people who never touch the tool but are affected by its results. The further a decision reaches into someone’s life, the more care it needs.
3. What happens when it’s wrong?
AI will make mistakes. Work out what a mistake costs, who would notice it, and how quickly it could be fixed.
4. What data does it need, and where does that data go?
Check whether personal or confidential information is involved, where it is processed and kept, and whether the provider can train on it. If you handle personal information, consider your obligations under Australian privacy law and get advice where you need it.
5. Who is accountable?
Put a person’s name next to each system. Someone needs to own how it is used, what it costs and what happens when it fails.
6. Can people question the result?
Tell people when AI is involved. Where an outcome matters to someone, give them a way to challenge it and reach a person.
7. How will we know it’s working?
Decide what you will measure before you begin, then keep checking after launch. Performance can change even when nobody at your organisation has touched the system.
A useful place to start
Australia’s AI Ethics Principles and the National AI Centre’s Guidance for AI Adoption are free and worth reading alongside these questions.