Choose a task for AI to prepare

At work, AI is often most useful for the first pass. It can turn scattered notes into a list, compare options you provide, or draft a message. Decisions, fact-checking, and responsibility remain with you. When you divide a task into parts before opening an assistant, you know which part you are giving to AI and why.

Which parts of work are suitable for AI to prepare

• Suitable: a draft based on information you provide, structure for scattered notes, a comparison of options you provide, and a checklist for a familiar work process.
• Not suitable as-is: a decision that affects a customer or employee, information you cannot verify, or material you are not allowed to give to the service you use.

Divide the task in three steps

1. 1

   Break the task into parts

   List the stages of the task: what you read, organise, decide, and write.

2. 2

   Choose a part for AI to prepare

   Mark the part where a draft, structure, or comparison would help. Write one sentence explaining why AI is suitable for that part and how you will check the result.

3. 3

   Keep judgement, responsibility, and confidential information with you

   Name the parts you will do yourself and why: a decision affects people, information needs checking, or material must not be shared.

Example: a new employee’s first day

The workplace in this example is fictional. You are preparing a schedule for a new employee’s first day and break the task into four parts: the schedule, a checklist, requesting system login credentials, and choosing who will onboard them.

• AI prepares a checklist from the schedule you provide, because the list follows a recurring structure and you can check it in one read-through.
• You put together the schedule yourself because you know when the team and facilities are available.
• You order access yourself because the request would contain the employee’s personal information.
• The manager chooses who will onboard the new employee because the decision affects colleagues’ working hours.

Create a first-day checklist for a fictional new employee. The workday lasts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the morning, the employee meets the team; at 11 a.m., they set up their work tools; and at 1 p.m., they go through one general stage of a customer process. Put the list in time order and mark separately any points the onboarding buddy still needs to clarify. Do not invent system names or customer information.

Try the same division when comparing options

When a team is choosing what to do next, AI can make the differences between options visible. The team makes the choice.

Organise these fictional team ideas for comparison: redesign the website homepage, send a monthly newsletter, and run a short customer survey. For each one, give the goal, estimated workload as either small or medium, the decision needed, and the next step. Do not choose a winner; make the differences visible to support a decision.

Check the division before you begin

• Does every part have an owner and a reason?
• Have decisions that affect people or money stayed with a person?
• Do you know how you will check the part AI prepares before using it?

At work, use a service your workplace has approved and follow its instructions about what material you may provide.