Choose the responsibility.
Then build the controls.

1. 01

   AI as a Tool

   A person directs each task and reviews the result.

   Business example: An employee asks AI to draft a business email, checks the facts, and decides what to send.

2. 02

   Automation

   Fixed rules and triggers move work. AI judgment is not required.

   Business example: A fixed rule sends a reminder when an invoice reaches its due date. No AI judgment is involved.

3. 03

   AI Workflow

   AI helps at a defined step in an approved process. A person checks the output before it is sent.

   Business example: Within a defined support process, AI drafts a reply from approved records. An employee reviews and approves it before sending.

4. 04

   AI Agent

   The system chooses among permitted steps and tools within a bounded task.

   Business example: For an assigned customer inquiry, AI chooses which approved records to retrieve and prepares a response, escalating anything outside its permissions.

5. 05

   AI Employee

   A system handles assigned recurring work and escalates exceptions to a named human owner.

   Business example: A system monitors a shared service queue each day, handles permitted routine tasks, and flags exceptions for its human owner.

These business examples illustrate how responsibility differs at each rung; they are not measured customer results. Rung 2 uses fixed rules without model judgment. “AI Employee” names a recurring operating role; accountability stays with a person.