What Internal AI Projects Teach You That No Guide Will, Part 1

When internal AI projects first begin, teams often invest heavily in prototype development, only to later discover whether users truly require the functionality. However, with the acceleration of AI development, it's crucial to be careful about which features are included in the scope.

In the first case, titled "Chartering a private jet to the office," a travel team asked for assistance in reducing manual work from their expense-reporting process. While the initial plan was to create a fully autonomous AI agent, the analysis revealed that the costs of maintaining such an agent would exceed the time saved. Instead, a chatbot with a conversational interface and function calling buttons was developed, costing approximately $54 per month.

This simple solution proved successful, eliminating hallucinations and improving user experience by enabling faster data entry through button taps.

In another instance, the focus shifted to CV conversion. The initial AI service aimed at automating this routine task was deemed unsatisfactory by tech writers, who then found an ally in recruiters. The recruiters adopted the tool, saving the team 150 hours each month. This emphasizes the importance of involving users early in the development process, as the tool only proved valuable for specific users.

The principle of the 80/20 rule applies here: prioritizing the 20% of features that deliver 80% of the value can save time and resources.

The third case revolves around candidate screening automation, which was initially considered high-risk due to compliance with the EU AI Act. Legal review revealed that any AI system evaluating candidates, even with human oversight, would require extensive certification, audits, and monitoring. To avoid regulatory issues, the project was redesigned into an AI-assisted tool that generates quiz questions and structures data for human tech leads to review.

By involving legal experts early on, the project avoided costly legal complications while still providing a valuable service to recruiters. This highlights the importance of consulting compliance teams and adhering to regulations to prevent unnecessary risks and expenses.