Your Human-First AI Checklist: Empowering People, Not Replacing Them

At Reverb, we believe the best approach to AI is human-first. AI can do amazing things, but only if it’s introduced with intention and clarity, with the goal of empowering your people, not replacing them. As a certified B Corp and a consulting firm that works with growing startups and nonprofits, we understand the need for practical, people-centric solutions. This AI checklist is your starting point, offering a clear guide whether you’re just getting curious or ready to experiment with new technologies.

1. Define Your “Why”: Align AI with Your Values

Start by asking: What problem are we trying to solve? Are you hoping to save time, spark creativity, or free up your team from repetitive tasks? Be honest about your goals and make sure they align with your company’s values.

Common misstep: It is easy to get distracted by trendy tools or tech buzzwords. Without a clear why, you risk investing in tools that create more confusion than value.

2. Build an AI Committee (or at Least a Small Group)

You do not need a formal committee, but it is important to gather input from a few different parts of the business. Pull in someone from HR, operations, leadership, and maybe a team manager who works closely with your frontline staff. These conversations help you understand where AI might be helpful, what concerns might come up, and how different roles may experience the shift.

Pro Tip: Leaving AI decisions to just one person or department can lead to blind spots. Even a quick 30-minute conversation with a small group can help you make better, more inclusive decisions. 

3. Create a Practical AI Policy: Guardrails, Not Gates

People need guardrails and freedom. Draft a clear, accessible policy that covers expectations, data sensitivity, use of public tools, and ethical boundaries without shutting down experimentation. Your goal here is to build trust while setting the right tone: AI is a helpful tool, but we still need to use it thoughtfully and responsibly. Start simple, make it visible, and commit to keeping it fresh as the landscape changes. It’s not a set it and forget it policy. 

What to look out for:

• Policies that are too vague. This creates uncertainty and hesitation.
• Policies that are too strict. This shuts down creativity and learning.
• People not knowing where to ask questions. Make sure there’s a clear point of contact (usually HR).

4. Clean Your Data First (AI is Only as Good as Your Inputs)

AI can’t work well if your data is messy. Take stock: Where does key info live? Is it up-to-date and trustworthy? Fixing this now saves headaches later. For example, if your product team wants to analyze customer feedback but the data lives in ten different formats, AI won’t solve that until the data is cleaned up. 

Remember: Skipping this step often leads to frustration. If your team does not trust the data you already have, they will not trust what AI produces either.

5. Map Workflows: Find Your Starting Point

Take a close look at how work gets done across the team. Where do people get stuck? What takes longer than it should? These pain points are often great starting places for AI.

An HR team might want help with job description drafts. A finance team might benefit from summarizing expense reports. A nonprofit might want to auto-generate grant templates. Mapping this out helps you target real value

What to look out for: Choosing tools before understanding the work often leads to low adoption.

6. Offer AI Training: Empower Your Entire Team

Most people are curious about AI but don’t know how to use it. Offer a short session to show how prompting works, share some common tools, and demonstrate simple ways to start.

Use real examples from your workplace. Maybe a program manager wants to use AI to outline a report. Maybe your admin team wants help generating email drafts. Keep it relevant and informal.

Pro Tip: Create space for each team to explore AI in context. Regular huddles allow teams to share prompts, experiments, and ideas. This builds skill and confidence while keeping the momentum going.

7. Start Small: Launch a Pilot Project

Start with one specific area of your work where AI could make a noticeable difference without introducing too much risk. Keep it simple, manageable, and directly tied to a real task your team is already doing. This gives you space to experiment, gather feedback, and build confidence before expanding to other parts of the organization.

Common Misstep: Trying to launch AI across your entire organization too quickly can create overwhelm and confusion. A focused pilot helps you learn what works, identify roadblocks, and build trust with your team.

8. Plan for Change: The Human Side of AI

Introducing AI is not just a technical shift, it’s an organizational change. That means your team needs time, communication, and support to adapt. Create a simple change management plan that outlines how you’ll roll things out, what support will be available, and how employees can get involved. Share a roadmap with your team even if it is still in progress. Let them know what you are exploring, what is coming next, and where you welcome their input. Transparency builds trust and engagement

What to look out for: Many employees feel nervous or uncertain about how AI might affect their roles. If communication is inconsistent or vague, that anxiety can grow.

9. Measure What Matters: Focus on People, Not Just Metrics

Track more than just who’s using AI. Look at how it’s impacting your people. Are tasks getting done faster? Are employees more engaged? Is the team spending more time on high-value work?

Ask for feedback, observe changes, and check in regularly.

Remember: Don’t get caught up in flashy metrics. Focus on how AI is improving your day-to-day work

AI works best when it works for your people. Let’s build it that way. Reverb partners with you to make AI adoption human-first, practical, and aligned with your values, so your people feel supported, not replaced.

You can check out our AI Usage Policy here, or contact us and we’ll help you set up your own.