The PM decides which AI prototype deserves production
Choose a status before use becomes standard by default
Choose one explicit status for each AI application: experiment, limited internal use, or production. This prevents a convincing prototype from quietly becoming a business-critical workflow. The available European source describes the AI Act as a legal framework that addresses AI risks and follows a risk-based approach. That does not justify a universal ban on production, but it does justify a PM decision that does not treat more extensive use as a technical inevitability. The product value here lies in classification: which use is permitted, for whom, with what human oversight, and under what conditions will it be reassessed?
Make production readiness a documented decision
Use a small decision register instead of a general promise of quality. For each application, record its purpose and user group, owner, inputs and outputs used, expected harm in the event of an error, checkpoint, permitted status, and reassessment date. This makes clear what a team actually needs to manage when a prototype is used more broadly. The NIST excerpt merely confirms that an AI Risk Management Framework, a Playbook, and a Critical Infrastructure Profile exist; it does not contain an assessment standard for this individual application. The fields proposed below are therefore editorial working methods, not derived certification requirements.
Use one register as shared follow-up work
A product manager does not need to prove that every prototype is unreliable. The task is to organize traceable follow-up as use increases: who assesses incidents, who may change the status, and when does the application revert to an experiment? A useful first step is this decision register: Record the purpose, owner, usage boundary, error impact, checkpoint, and follow-up decision for this AI application. The limitation remains: This article does not provide legal, financial, or professional advice; the cited sources do not provide a complete technical, sector-specific, or application-specific assessment. For a specific system, consult the applicable rules, roles, and experts.
