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Before you complete the course, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned and begin a responsible conversation about using AI tools with your colleagues.
Read the checklist (5 minutes)
Complete the reflection activity (5 minutes)
In the last lesson, you learned that while public servants shouldn’t wait to explore generative AI tools, using them responsibly requires driving innovation at a cautious pace (using your accelerator and testing your brakes).
You’ve been developing an AI mindset since Lesson 1.0, but it’s important to encourage your fellow public servants to start their AI education too. In this lesson, we’ll consolidate what you’ve learned throughout the course by preparing you for what happens next: collaborating with your colleagues. Get ready to ask some solutions-focused questions.
We’ve devised a series of questions for you to use as a starting point for guiding discussions about using AI in your work. You can use it when thinking about ways to improve efficiency, or when considering a new tech option.
The checklist is not a replacement for official regulations or departmental guidelines; you can think of it as a work in progress to prompt informed discussions.
These questions are unlikely to be raised (or even answered) in a set order. For example, to evaluate risks, you might need to test and explore solutions in a sandbox first. Some questions — like ‘Who does it serve?’ and ‘Who could it harm?’ — will be useful to revisit at multiple points in the conversation.
Take a few minutes to read through the questions now. You’ll be able to download a takeaway version at the end of the lesson.
What is the unique problem? Why does it need to be solved?
What can be gained from solving this problem? Who does it serve?
Could AI help with that? How? Why? Why not?
Do we need to use AI? Are there other more appropriate ways of solving this problem?
Is the expectation of what AI can do for us realistic? Could using AI create more problems?
Does this follow the principles of good public administration?
Where does this use case fall on the EU AI Act’s level of risks?
What’s the worst-case scenario? Who could this harm?
Who needs to be a part of this conversation? Have we left anyone out?
What best practices govern using generative AI in our role?
Are we using the most up-to-date tool? Does it matter?
Can we test this tool in a sandbox environment?
Do we understand how the tool works? Do we understand the output generated? Can we clearly explain the logic behind the results?
Have we checked for accuracy?
Consider the questions checklist as a first draft that you can add to and edit. What questions:
Are missing?
Will you ask first?
Will slow down the overly enthusiastic?
Will encourage the overly cautious?
Will you need to ask more than once?
Will prompt you to keep learning about AI?
Download a copy of the checklist and share it with your colleagues.
Now that you’ve taken a moment to reflect on these questions, head to the next lesson, where you’ll reflect on what questions you’ll be adding to your checklist.
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This is the logged out version of a short course in Apolitical’s Government AI Campus. To access all interactive elements and download a certificate of completion, sign up for free.
