Your first AI trial does not need your entire customer database. Build a small sample that represents the task without exposing information the experiment does not require.
Start with invented examples
Create ordinary cases, incomplete requests and a few awkward exceptions. For a support assistant, include a straightforward question, an ambiguous complaint and a request outside your policy. Write down what a useful response should do.
If real records are necessary later, remove unnecessary identifiers and sensitive details. Check who can access the workspace, where uploads go, and what the provider says about retention and training. Do not assume a paid plan answers every data-handling question.
Expand deliberately
Keep the test set separate from production records. Assign someone to approve any new data source or integration. Document the purpose of each field so the pilot does not accumulate information simply because it is available.
This is a practical starting point, not a compliance certification or a substitute for your organization’s data policies.
AIBeat practical guidance. For broader background, see the voluntary NIST AI Risk Management Framework. This checklist is not a NIST certification or a prescribed implementation.