How should a business choose its first AI use case?

Start with work that can be observed

Describe a recurring task with a visible input and a reviewable output. Identify what currently takes time or creates avoidable error. If the hoped-for benefit cannot be observed, a trial may only produce enthusiasm rather than a decision about whether to continue.

Choose a task where the information can be used appropriately and where a person can correct mistakes. A use case that requires unrestricted access to sensitive systems is a poor first test simply because it makes control harder to evaluate.

Include difficult cases from the start

A selected demonstration can hide the work that makes the service difficult. Include incomplete, contradictory and unusual examples. Define what the assistant should do when it lacks enough information: ask for review, say it is uncertain or stop, rather than produce an authoritative guess.

Compare the entire process, including checking and correction. A fast draft that takes longer to verify may not improve the work.

Decide what the trial will change

Before testing, agree who owns the outcome and what would justify expanding, revising or retiring the experiment. The trial should reduce uncertainty about a business decision, not create pressure to deploy the tool because it was tried.