AI Use Case Prioritisation Matrix
Score up to five AI use cases across six strategic dimensions and receive two separate results: a business merit score and the autonomy clearance tier your governance readiness earns. A strong score on five dimensions can no longer hide a dangerous one on the sixth.
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AI Use Case Prioritisation Matrix
Two results that are never blended
Business merit and autonomy clearance are scored separately
Cleared for checks & reports only, whatever its merit score.
Illustrative ratings for one use case. Rung values (Weak 2, Moderate 5, Strong 7.5, Exceptional 9.5), the merit formula and the clearance bands are the ones this tool uses. The use case still ranks on its 83/100 merit; its autonomy is capped by the governance rung.
Name each AI initiative you are considering. You start with three; add up to two more if you have them. Rate each one on the six dimensions below by picking the descriptive rung that matches your situation, so two different people scoring the same use case land on comparable results. Scores update in real time. Autonomy Readiness works differently from the other five: instead of averaging into the score, it sets the autonomy clearance tier the use case earns.
Next: name your use cases, then pick a rung for each dimension. The sequence and the matrix appear below as soon as you rate one.
0 of 18 ratings made
These five dimensions make up the Business Merit Score, equally weighted by default. The model is adapted from RICE: the confidence slider on each card works like RICE's Confidence term. Raise or lower a dimension here and every use case is re-weighted the same way. Autonomy Readiness has no weight because it never enters the average; it sets a separate clearance tier.
Rate at least one dimension on a use case to see the sequence and the merit and clearance matrix.
Merit against autonomy clearance
This tool produces a self-assessment based on the scores you enter. It does not constitute an independent evaluation of these initiatives, and it is not procurement, financial or legal advice. The recommended steps above are the starting point for your own due diligence, which remains your responsibility. Your scores stay in your browser and are neither sent to Terence Kok nor reviewed by anyone.
What each dimension measures and why it matters
Strategic Fit
Does this use case move a needle that your leadership cares about? Weak means you are solving a problem nobody is measuring. Exceptional means this directly enables a board-level priority. The use cases rated highest on this dimension are the ones that will get funded, resourced, and sustained past the pilot.
Data Readiness
AI without data is a framework without content. Rate this dimension on whether the data exists, is accessible, is clean, and is sufficient in volume for the model you intend to deploy. A Weak or Moderate rating indicates data preparation work that will extend your timeline and cost significantly, as a directional pattern rather than a measured statistic, often by 3–6× the AI development cost itself.
Ease of Implementation
Technical complexity, integration requirements, change management load, and vendor dependency all affect this rating. Exceptional means an off-the-shelf solution with minimal integration. Weak means custom model development, complex data pipelines, and significant organisational change, a category that requires a dedicated implementation team and realistic 12–18 month timelines.
Expected ROI
Consider both direct financial return (cost saved, revenue enabled) and indirect value (risk reduced, quality improved, capacity freed). Use your AI ROI Calculator to generate a defensible financial estimate before rating this dimension. Exceptional means a measurable, verifiable return within 12 months. Weak means the value is theoretical, delayed, or difficult to attribute.
Speed to Value
How quickly can you demonstrate a result? This is not the same as ease of implementation: a use case can be technically simple but require 12 months of data collection before the model can make accurate predictions. Rate it Exceptional if you can deliver a measurable outcome in 4–8 weeks. Rate it Weak if the baseline measurement, training data collection, and model validation add up to over 12 months before any business value is visible.
Autonomy Readiness
A high-impact use case that also acts with meaningful autonomy, taking actions beyond producing a recommendation, carries governance requirements a purely advisory tool does not. Rate this dimension on whether your identity, logging, human-checkpoint, and audit controls are built for the level of autonomous action this use case will exercise; the use case's potential value plays no part in it. Unlike the other five dimensions, this rating is not averaged into the Business Merit Score. It sets the autonomy clearance tier instead: Weak clears the use case for checks and reports only, Moderate clears it to draft an action and wait for a person to approve it, and Strong or Exceptional clears it to check and act entirely on its own, per the OWASP Agentic AI governance work and the Cloud Security Alliance's autonomy-tier guidance. A high score elsewhere can no longer outrank a use case ahead of the governance work it still needs, because the two numbers are never blended together.
I built this after watching too many leadership teams argue about which AI project to start with using nothing but instinct and whoever spoke loudest in the room. Score up to five use cases against the same six dimensions, strategic fit, data readiness, ease, ROI, speed to value, autonomy readiness, and the ranking does the arguing for you. I keep autonomy readiness out of the blended score on purpose: it earns the project a clearance tier instead, so a strong idea with a governance gap can't average its way past that gap. It won't tell you your idea is bad. It will tell you which one is ready to move first, and at what level of independence, which is usually not what everyone assumed.
Last updated 2 Oct 2026
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