Governance becomes difficult when an organization cannot answer a basic question: where is AI actually being used? A use-case inventory gives teams a shared record of AI-enabled systems and workflows so ownership, review, monitoring, and change decisions are based on current information.
Inventory the use case, not only the model
Record the business purpose, users, owner, system or vendor, model or AI capability where known, important data inputs, outputs, downstream actions, human review points, and affected processes. One model may support several use cases with very different risks.
Capture lifecycle status
Distinguish experiments, pilots, production uses, paused systems, and retired use cases. Include the date of the latest review and the event that should trigger another review, such as a model change, new data source, new audience, or expanded decision authority.
Connect the inventory to evidence
Link each use case to its risk assessment, approvals, tests, monitoring records, exceptions, and control owners where those artifacts exist. The inventory should point reviewers to evidence rather than trying to contain every detail itself.
Give someone responsibility for keeping it current
Define who can add, change, and retire entries and how teams report new AI uses. Periodic reconciliation with procurement, technology, security, data, and business owners can help surface systems that were not entered through the expected process.
Keep professional determinations with qualified owners
An inventory can support governance, but it does not determine whether a use case is legally permitted, clinically appropriate, financially suitable, fair in employment, safe, or compliant with a particular regulation. Those judgments require the appropriate qualified authority.
Related knowledge
Use this with AI Governance Control Owners, AI Human Oversight Plans, AI Governance Review Triggers, and AI Governance Evidence Packs.
References
This resource supports operational governance. It does not establish legal compliance or replace qualified legal, regulatory, clinical, financial, employment, safety, privacy, accessibility, or other professional review.