Utility AI governance has to hold at every step of an AI-assisted workflow, from the moment a use case is scoped to the moment a system change is confirmed. This infographic presents the six control points that keep each AI-assisted action accountable, traceable, and aligned with utility obligations.
1. Defined operational intent
Each AI workflow serves one specific objective, such as flagging billing exceptions or prioritizing outage notifications. A named owner, scope limits, and success measures are set before build.
2. Approved data access
AI uses only data approved for the use case, whether from CIS, MDM, OMS, or external sources, under defined permissions, lineage, and handling requirements. Missing or conflicting data triggers a predetermined response.
3. Governed decision path
The path defines applicable rules and thresholds. It separates AI inference from deterministic calculations, including tariff logic, and expert judgment, while specifying when to recommend, alert, escalate, or stop.
4. Human accountability
A human in the loop reviews consequential or uncertain recommendations, approves actions, and logs dispositions. They override recommendations when operational, customer, financial, or regulatory conditions require intervention.
5. Controlled system execution
Actions write back only under restricted rules that preserve system-of-record ownership. Each approved change is verified before execution and confirmed in the receiving system afterward. Failed or unconfirmed write-backs open an exception.
6. Versioned audit evidence
Audit evidence links each action to point-in-time versions of source data, rules, configurations, AI outputs, reviewer decisions, execution responses, and confirmed outcomes for complete traceability.
A complete governance chain connects operational intent, data access, decision logic, human authority, execution controls, and audit evidence within one accountable workflow. This allows utilities to apply AI across regulated operations while maintaining control, traceability, and measurable performance.
Share this infographic with your technology, operations, and governance teams to align standards for utility AI deployment.