The short answer
A frontier AI implementation plan defines the task, model role, data access, integrations, review points, evaluation criteria, operating owner, and release decision.
Implementation planning
Frontier AI implementation checklist
Use a shared checklist to turn an AI use case into a bounded implementation plan.
Cortez Lake
Plan an implementation using OpenAI, Anthropic’s Claude, or other frontier models with a checklist for the task, data, integrations, evaluation, controls, and release.
What this means in practice
Each item needs an owner and evidence of completion. Use the checklist to expose unresolved work before rollout, then keep it current as the scope changes.
Bring H2H in when…
- A team has model access and needs to define the implementation work.
- A proposed workflow uses sensitive operational information.
- Product, security, engineering, and operations need a shared readiness review.
Related H2H pages
Frontier AI deployment partnerExplore H2H support for the task, software, evaluation, and release plan.OpenAI and Claude implementation supportDefine the responsibilities and deliverables of an implementation partner.AI governance and agentic securityDefine policy checks, human approvals, and records for the agreed systems.
1. Define the task and decision
Write down the task in terms an operator can recognize. Identify the current baseline, the improvement being tested, and the decision the implementation will support. Separate a pilot from the work needed for a production release.
- Name the users, workflow owner, and intended outcome.
- Describe the model input and expected output.
- Define acceptable quality and the consequence of an incorrect result.
- Set the criteria for proceeding, revising, or stopping.
2. Map data, integrations, and permissions
Trace the information from its source to the model, interface, logs, and downstream systems. Confirm the applicable access and handling requirements for the selected services during implementation. Do not assume an application’s deployment location describes every data transfer.
- Identify the required data sources and permitted users.
- Document external service calls, retention settings, and support access.
- Assign an owner to each integration and credential.
- Define the response to missing data, failed calls, and unavailable dependencies.
3. Design evaluation and review together
Use representative examples, known exceptions, and failure cases to assess the task. Make the review process part of the test: the result needs to be usable by the person who will accept, correct, or reject it.
- Agree on the evaluation cases and how results will be judged.
- Define which actions require human approval before execution.
- Test denied actions, unavailable reviewers, and failed integrations.
- Measure reviewer effort and workflow results alongside output quality.
4. Prepare the release and operating handover
A completed checklist should identify the evidence reviewed, the limitations accepted, and who authorized the agreed release. Keep ownership explicit after handover so a model, prompt, or integration change triggers the appropriate re-evaluation.
- Name the support owner and escalation path.
- Confirm monitoring, access review, and records needed for investigation.
- Document initial rollout limits and a tested recovery path.
- Set the next review and the evidence required before expansion.
Next step
Turn the checklist into an implementation scope.
H2H helps assign the work, build the supporting software, and prepare the evidence your team needs for the next decision.