AI-Assisted Decision Safety Checklist

A plain-language checklist for keeping AI-assisted decisions traceable, reviewable, challengeable, correctable, reversible, and accountable.

Use this checklist before relying on AI to support a decision that affects people, resources, rights, safety, access, discipline, eligibility, money, health, education, housing, public services, infrastructure, or public trust.

The Checklist

Before using or accepting an AI-supported recommendation, ask:

  1. What decision is actually being made?
  2. Who could be affected if this is wrong?
  3. What evidence supports the AI's output?
  4. What evidence contradicts it?
  5. What assumptions are being made?
  6. Can a human reviewer challenge the result?
  7. Can the decision be paused before harm occurs?
  8. Can the decision be corrected or reversed?
  9. Is there a record of how the conclusion was reached?
  10. Who is accountable if the decision causes harm?

Risk Levels

Low

Example uses: Drafting, brainstorming, summarizing, formatting.

Minimum safeguard: Human review.

Moderate

Example uses: Internal recommendations, prioritization, triage, workflow support.

Minimum safeguard: Evidence check plus named reviewer.

High

Example uses: Hiring, benefits, discipline, healthcare support, finance, housing, education, public services.

Minimum safeguard: Audit trail, human challenge process, and correction path.

Critical

Example uses: Weapons, emergency systems, mass surveillance, infrastructure, large-scale automated decisions.

Minimum safeguard: External review, strict deployment controls, and clear accountability.

Decision Resilience Test

A decision is more resilient when it can be:

If a decision cannot be traced, challenged, corrected, or reversed, it is not decision-resilient.

Practical Use

This checklist is designed for:

Boundary

This checklist is a public governance aid. It is not legal advice, medical advice, safety certification, compliance certification, or a substitute for professional review.