The AI Initiative Brief

The AI initiative brief is the most common executive one-pager in an AI consulting context. It proposes or updates an AI initiative to a decision-maker who has limited time and limited AI literacy. The brief must work without any technical explanation — every AI concept translated into business risk or opportunity before it reaches the page.

What to include in an AI initiative brief: the recommendation (deploy, expand, or pause the initiative), the business case in compressed form (cost of inaction, projected return, payback period), the governance statement (who owns it, how outputs are reviewed), and the ask.

What to exclude from an AI initiative brief: technical architecture, model selection rationale, API specifications, training methodology, and any term that requires a glossary entry. If you find yourself wanting to include a technical detail, ask whether a board member or CFO needs that detail to make the decision. If the answer is no, it goes to the appendix or disappears entirely.

How to handle risk without burying it: name the primary risk directly in the brief, state the mitigation in one sentence, and move on. 'Primary risk: AI output accuracy below acceptable threshold. Mitigation: human review required before any customer-facing communication.' One risk named and addressed is more credible than no risk mentioned at all.

# AI Claims Processing Automation: Q2 Deployment Recommendation
Acme Insurance | March 2026 | CONFIDENTIAL

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## Context
Competitor deployments in Q2 have reduced processing time by 35%, opening a cost gap of $2.4M
annually. Our current manual process costs $800K more per year than their estimated post-AI structure.

## Evidence
- 90-day pilot: 38% processing time reduction, 94% accuracy on standard claim types
- Full deployment projects $2.1M annual cost reduction at 75% benefit realization (base case)
- Payback period: 14 months from go-live at $1.85M total investment

## Implication
Deploying in Q2 closes the competitive cost gap and returns the investment before year-end 2027.
Every quarter of delay costs approximately $530K in continued overspend.

## Risk
Primary risk: accuracy degradation over time. Mitigation: monthly accuracy audits; system suspended
if accuracy drops below 90% pending review. Governance owner: VP Operations.

## Ask
Approve $1.85M for Q2 deployment | Decision by March 31 | Contract signature within 5 business days

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*Contact: [Name] | [Email] | Full business case and pilot results available upon request.*