The 4-gate AI launch checklist

Everyone loves the demo. Then the pilot hits four gates. Tick off each item before your review meeting — every box is an answer an approver will ask for.

0 of 16 ready

GATE 1 · LEGAL

Where does the data go?

Fix: a one-page data map.

List what goes in: which fields, from which systems.
Write down where it's stored, and in which region.
Name every vendor and model that sees it, and their data-retention terms.
Mask names, phone numbers and IDs before anything leaves your system.

GATE 2 · SECURITY

Can someone hijack it?

Fix: attack it yourself before launch.

Run 20 nasty prompts against it ("Ignore your rules and…") and log the results.
Add input and output guardrails: block, filter and cap what it can say.
Give it the fewest tools and permissions it needs. It drafts; a human sends.
Log every call so you can replay what happened.

GATE 3 · FINANCE

What will it cost at scale?

Fix: model the cost at 10× today's volume.

Measure cost per task (per ticket, per document, per call) today.
Multiply by 10× volume and compare with the cost of doing it by hand.
Route easy tasks to a cheaper model; cache repeated answers.
Set a hard monthly budget with an alert before you hit it.

GATE 4 · OPS

Who fixes it at 2am?

Fix: name an owner before launch.

One named on-call owner, plus a backup.
A "hand to a human" button or fallback path for every flow.
Alerts on errors, cost spikes and unusual answers.
A weekly review of wrong answers, feeding back into prompts and tests.

Tip: print this page or save it as a PDF (your browser's Share / Print menu) to bring into your review meeting.

Stuck at one of the gates?

Tell us where your AI pilot is blocked. We'll tell you what the approver needs to see.

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