Always Approve AI’s Work Before You Use It
Always Approve AI’s Work Before You Use It
By Nikki Mehrpoo, JD, AIWC, AIMWC
Founder, The MedLegal Professor™ | Former Workers’ Compensation Judge | AI Governance Architect & Technology Strategist | Creator of The EEE AI Protocol™ | Dual-Certified Legal Specialist | Legal Risk & Compliance Strategist | AI+HI™ Champion for Regulated Professionals
Imagine you are in a deposition.
A key document, prepared with artificial intelligence assistance, contains a critical error. The question from opposing counsel will not be whether the AI failed. The question will be whether you, the licensed professional, reviewed and approved that failure. This is the new standard of professional accountability.
You must be the final authority on any work product that leaves your office. This is not a suggestion. It is a requirement for maintaining control.
Control Builds Trust
If AI writes something, calculates something, or gives advice, you must see it before anyone else does. Without that review, you cannot be sure it is correct — and you cannot prove you were in control.
When you approve AI’s work first, you protect your standards, your license, and the trust of those you serve.
This has profound implications for your daily work, where every output is a reflection of your professional judgment.
Why This Matters for Your Work
When AI’s work leaves your hands without your review:
You do not know if it is correct or compliant
You cannot defend it if someone questions it
You lose control over your professional output
When you review and approve:
You ensure accuracy and safety
You build trust with clients, patients, or stakeholders
You create proof of your professional oversight
The only way to ensure this level of control is to implement a systematic governance protocol. This is the lifecycle through which we reassert professional authority.
@Lifecycle: Educate / Empower / Elevate
How the EEE AI Governance Protocol™ Makes This Easy
Educate. Empower. Elevate.
The Protocol gives you a repeatable process:
Identify Key AI Outputs – Make a short list of AI results that always need review.
Route Them to You First – Ensure nothing goes to others before you see it.
Check for Accuracy and Rules – Review facts, details, and compliance.
Approve in Writing – Add: “Reviewed and approved by [name] on [date].”
Store Output with Approval – Keep them together for future proof.
This is the operational trigger for responsible AI use. You must stop, document your review, and formally approve the output before it is finalized.
@Trigger: Stop. Document. Govern.™
Consider how this simple, doctrinal approach holds up under the scrutiny of a real-world dispute.
@Risk: Human Bypass / Audit Gap
Scenario: The Contract Draft
Without Approval:
AI sends a contract to a client with the wrong payment date.
The client signs it, creating a dispute.
With Approval:
AI sends the draft to you first.
You fix the date, approve it, and send the correct version.
The client receives accurate terms and avoids confusion.
In the first scenario, the unapproved AI output led the human professional directly into a conflict. That is the standard of risk you accept without a formal approval process.
@Standard: HIPAA / ABA / CPRA / EU AI Act
You do not need to wait for a crisis to implement this level of control. Your responsibility as a peer leader starts now with this simple plan.
@Audience: Attorneys, QMEs, HR Managers, Claims Adjusters, Physicians
The 5-Minute Action Plan to Start Today
You can start lowering your risk in minutes without buying new software. This simple exercise builds an instant, human-verifiable record of your professional judgment and is the first step toward creating a defensible workflow.
Step 1: Pick One AI Task You Use Often
This exercise begins with awareness. Identify a single, recurring task where you currently rely on artificial intelligence for speed or first-draft content. Do not overthink this. It could be drafting a client email, summarizing a medical chart, or generating a list of case law citations. Choose one specific, tangible action where AI is part of your process.
Step 2: Add a Step Where You See It First
Now, you will insert a mandatory checkpoint. Before the AI output can be copied, sent, or used in any other document, you must build a pause into your process. This is a non-negotiable human firewall. Configure your workflow so the AI-generated content is routed directly to you, and only you, for initial review. The output cannot proceed until you have seen it.
Step 3: Check It for Errors and Compliance
This review is not a quick skim. You must actively verify the output against professional standards. Check for factual accuracy. Confirm that any legal or medical statements align with current regulations and best practices. Look for subtle biases, invented citations, or missing context that only a human expert with a license to protect would recognize. You are the compliance layer.
Step 4: Approve It in Writing
Your approval must be a deliberate, documented act. A simple, written annotation creates a piece of evidence that proves your oversight. In your notes, in the document metadata, or in your case management system, add a clear statement. A sufficient and defensible entry would be: “AI-generated draft reviewed, verified for accuracy, and approved for use by [Your Name] on [Date].”
Step 5: Save It with Your Approval Note
This final step creates your defensible record. Store your written approval note directly with the final work product. Do not save it in a separate, disconnected file. The approval must be part of the official record, linked to the client file, patient chart, or case document. This creates an unbroken Governance Evidence Chain™ that can be retrieved during an audit or legal challenge.
Governance Evidence Chain™: A term for the complete, unbroken record of an AI-assisted decision, including the prompt, the AI output, the human review notes, and the final approval. @Lifecycle: Empower / Elevate
Benefits of Approving AI’s Work
Protects your license and reputation
Gives you control over your output
Creates proof of professional oversight
Builds trust with everyone you serve
When you approve it, you own it. This is how you keep artificial intelligence working for you, not replacing your professional authority.
CALL TO ACTION
Be the Final Voice
📌 Choose Your Next Step Today:
Join the EEE AI Governance Leadership Academy
Become an AI+HI™ Founding Ally
Enter the AI Governance 101 Community
Enroll in the Govern Before You Automate™ Masterclass
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