Responsible AI for Australian SMEs — A Practical Checklist

Responsible AI does not need to begin as a large governance program. For an SME, it can begin with clear rules about data, approvals, errors and escalation.

Know the data boundary

List what information can and cannot be entered into external AI tools.

Define human review

Specify which outputs can be used automatically and which require approval.

Test failure modes

Ask what happens when the model misunderstands a customer, gives an incorrect answer or cannot access the right information.

Keep records where decisions matter

If an AI-assisted process affects customers, money or obligations, preserve enough context for a human to understand what happened.