- Published
- 8 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 8 October 2026
Start with the work
An impressive demonstration does not establish that a tool is suitable for your process. Describe the work you want to support, the person doing it and the result they need. Separate the inconvenience of the current process from the assumption that AI is the answer.
In this fictional example, a learning team wants help drafting internal meeting summaries. It is considering a draft for a reviewer, rather than allowing a tool to make decisions or send messages independently.
Compare possible approaches
Ask whether a clear template, a search function or a simple rule could address the need. Consider an AI option alongside these alternatives. Record what each would require from the team, including maintenance and review.
For the fictional task, a standard meeting template may solve some problems before any new tool is introduced. An AI draft may still need source checking and editing. Compare the complete workflow rather than the speed of generating a first draft alone.
Define boundaries and review
Identify the information the task needs and what may be used in the approved environment. Decide who will review the result and what errors would matter. Use fictional notes for the initial exercise.
A summary that sounds polished may omit a condition, invent an action or attribute a decision incorrectly. The team should decide how it will compare a draft with the authorised record and what it will do when the result is unreliable.
Make a small decision brief
Record the task, alternatives, intended benefit, important failure cases and proposed review. Include who can approve a trial and what evidence it should collect. Do not promise savings before measuring the full process.
Practice task: write a one-paragraph proposal for supporting a fictional internal summary. Explain what the tool may draft, what it may not do and how a person will check it. Use the output-review checklist before sharing a generated draft.
Source and practice note
The UK Government AI Playbook provides background on tool selection and human control. The fictional examples and exercises are original RDE learning material.
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.