Before you approve that AI Project

Before you approve an AI project, ask one simple question:

Who owns the consequence if it fails?

Most AI projects have a sponsor and a budget line. That does not necessarily mean the real risk is owned.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/8305c7_d4b47d1530ee493bade77b1085d0aafc/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The CEO may own the strategic promise. The COO may inherit the operational disruption. The CFO may be left defending the spend.

Those are three different risks.

Before approval, the leadership team needs to agree:

• Who owns the outcome?

• Who owns the operational change?

• Who owns the financial exposure?

• Who has the authority to pause if the assumptions are not holding?

If those questions cannot be answered clearly, the project is not ready for approval.