AI Readiness Checklist¶

Q: What is an AI readiness assessment?

An AI readiness assessment evaluates whether your organisation has the governance, data, technical capabilities and culture needed to adopt AI safely and effectively.

Q: How long does an AI readiness assessment take?

This checklist takes 15-30 minutes to complete. For a thorough team discussion, allow 1-2 hours to work through all sections together.

Q: What score indicates we're ready for AI?

Organisations scoring 70% or higher are generally well-positioned to begin AI adoption. Those below 50% should focus on building foundational capabilities first.

Q: Is this checklist free to use?

Yes. This checklist is licensed under CC BY 4.0. You may copy, adapt and use it commercially with attribution to SafeAI-Aus.

Purpose: Assess your organisation's preparedness for safe AI adoption Audience: Leadership, governance and technical teams | Time: 15-30 minutes

How to Use This Checklist

Print or share this checklist with stakeholders
Read through each section individually or as a team
Discuss each section and tick boxes that apply to your organisation
Document evidence for each checked item
Tally your score using the guide below
Identify priority gaps to address
Create an action plan for unchecked items with owners and timeframes

This checklist helps Australian businesses decide if they are ready to adopt AI safely, responsibly and effectively.

This checklist reflects the AI6 Essential Practices released by the Australian Government and aligns with international frameworks such as ISO/IEC 42001:2023 and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

Tick the boxes that apply to your organisation. A higher score means greater readiness.

Assessment Sections¶

1️⃣ Strategy & Governance¶

Clear AI vision linked to business goals
A designated senior executive accountable for AI initiatives
An AI Use Policy covering acceptable use, privacy, and IP
Approval process for new AI initiatives
Change management plan for AI adoption
Stakeholder communication strategy defined

2️⃣ Data & Privacy¶

Up-to-date data inventory and quality checks
Compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (APPs)
Protections for business IP (Copyright Act 1968)
Processes to anonymise or pseudonymise personal data

3️⃣ Risk & Impact¶

Risk and impact assessments completed (bias, safety, rights)
High-risk use cases identified and controlled
Sign-offs recorded before deployment

4️⃣ People & Skills¶

Human oversight for important decisions
Staff trained on safe AI use and escalation paths
Clear process for reporting incidents or issues

5️⃣ Testing & Monitoring¶

Pre-deployment testing (performance, fairness, robustness)
Ongoing monitoring for errors, drift and safety
Records kept of models, prompts and key decisions

6️⃣ Suppliers & Partners¶

Vendors align with Australia's 10 Guardrails
Contracts cover privacy, IP and security requirements
Regular review of vendor practices and updates

7️⃣ Financial & Resource Readiness¶

AI budget allocated and approved
ROI expectations and success metrics defined
Resources identified for ongoing maintenance and updates
Cost-benefit analysis completed

Interpreting Your Score¶

Early Stage (0–10 items checked)

Status: Building foundations Recommendation: Focus on governance and staff skills before deploying AI

Priority actions:

📋 Draft an AI Use Policy
👥 Identify a senior executive to lead AI initiatives
🎯 Complete AI Risk Assessment training

Example: Organisation exploring AI but lacking formal processes

Mid Stage (11–20 items checked)

Status: Ready for pilots Recommendation: Run controlled AI trials with strong oversight

Priority actions:

🧪 Start small-scale pilot projects
📊 Set up AI Project Register
⚠️ Conduct risk assessments for each use case

Example: Organisation with basic governance running controlled AI trials

Advanced Stage (21–30 items checked)

Status: Ready to scale Recommendation: Deploy with continuous improvement processes

Priority actions:

🚀 Scale successful pilots to production
📈 Implement AI Assurance framework
🔄 Establish regular governance reviews

Example: Organisation with mature AI governance deploying multiple systems

Alignment with Australian Standards¶

This checklist helps you verify compliance with key Australian AI frameworks:

Standards Compliance

AI6 Essential PracticesVoluntary AI Safety Standard (10 Guardrails)

✓ Understand impacts and plan accordingly — Section 3 (Risk & Impact) ensures risk assessments are completed

✓ Decide who is accountable — Section 1 (Strategy & Governance) verifies executive accountability

✓ Test and monitor — Section 5 (Testing & Monitoring) confirms testing protocols exist

✓ Guardrail 9 – Governance & oversight — Section 1 aligns with governance structure requirements

✓ Guardrail 2 – Risk management — Section 3 supports risk management processes

✓ Guardrail 6 – Testing & assurance — Section 5 verifies testing for performance and fairness

✓ Guardrail 8 – Supply chain accountability — Section 6 ensures vendor alignment checks

Next Steps¶

Where to go from here:

✅ Score 0–10? Start with: AI Use Policy
✅ Score 11–20? Set up: AI Project Register
✅ Score 21–30? Implement: AI Implementation Roadmap

Related templates:

📋 AI Risk Assessment Checklist — Evaluate specific AI systems
🔄 AI Change Management — Plan organisational rollout
📊 AI Vendor Evaluation — Assess third-party tools

Disclaimer & Licence

Disclaimer: This template provides best practice guidance for Australian organisations. SafeAI-Aus has exercised care in preparation but does not guarantee accuracy, reliability, or completeness. Organisations should adapt to their specific context and may wish to seek advice from legal, governance, or compliance professionals before formal adoption.

Licence: Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). You are free to copy, adapt and redistribute with attribution: "Source: SafeAI-Aus (safeaiaus.org)"