How to Build a Simple AI Inventory for Your Business
Build a practical AI inventory to identify tools, assign accountability, assess risk and keep approvals current.
AI may already be used across your business through standalone tools, personal accounts and features embedded in familiar software. A simple inventory creates central visibility into each system, its purpose, owner, data access and approval status. Start with a shared spreadsheet and improve it as your AI use matures.
Visibility Comes Before Control
A business cannot manage AI use it has not identified. A shorter inventory that is owned and regularly updated is more useful than a complex register employees avoid or allow to become outdated.
Assign Ownership and Define Scope
Choose one coordinator to maintain the central record, follow up on gaps and ensure reviews occur. Define AI broadly enough to include standalone tools, embedded features, agents, integrations, free trials and personal accounts used for company work.
Discover AI Use Across the Business
Ask teams what tools they use, the tasks performed, the information entered and any connected systems. Use a neutral approach that encourages disclosure. Also review subscriptions, expenses, extensions, integrations, contracts and newly enabled AI features where appropriate.
Record the Essential Facts
At minimum, capture the tool, accountable owner, specific task, data accessed and approval status. Useful additional fields include users, technical owner, connected systems, outputs, human review, risk level, restrictions and review dates.
Prioritise Risk and Set Conditions
Prioritise systems involving sensitive data, external publication, automated actions or important decisions. Record a clear decision and any conditions. Approval should cover a defined purpose, users and data—not every possible use of the product.
Embed Registration and Keep It Current
Add registration to purchasing, onboarding, project approval and vendor review. Reassess entries when purposes, features, access, terms, owners or outputs change, or after an incident. Use more frequent reviews for higher-risk uses.
Start Simple, Then Improve Control
An AI inventory is not a complete governance programme and does not replace legal, cybersecurity or data protection review. It provides the visibility needed to identify unapproved or duplicated tools, clarify accountability, focus attention on higher-risk uses and manage AI adoption more deliberately.
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