---
title: ai buying checklist
description: Questions to Ask Before Buying Any AI Tool
---

[Skip to content](https://www.catalystls.ai/ai-buying-checklist#main-content)

[![catalyst-logo-horizontal-1000](https://www.catalystls.ai/hs-fs/hubfs/catalyst-logo-horizontal-1000.png?width=1000&height=406&name=catalyst-logo-horizontal-1000.png)Homepage](https://www.catalystls.ai/catalystls.ai?hsLang=en)

- [Home](https://www.catalystls.ai?hsLang=en)
- [Services](https://www.catalystls.ai/services?hsLang=en)
- [About](https://www.catalystls.ai/about?hsLang=en)

[Let's Talk](https://www.catalystls.ai/contact?hsLang=en)

- [Home](https://www.catalystls.ai?hsLang=en)
- [Services](https://www.catalystls.ai/services?hsLang=en)
- [About](https://www.catalystls.ai/about?hsLang=en)

[Let's Talk](https://www.catalystls.ai/contact?hsLang=en)

Free resource

# Questions to Ask Before You Buy Any AI Tool

---

Most AI tools are easy to buy. These questions are how you find out whether you should. If you can't answer them yet, you're not ready to buy yet.

[Download the one-pager (PDF)](https://www.catalystls.ai/hubfs/Questions%20to%20Ask%20Before%20You%20Buy%20Any%20AI%20Tool.pdf?hsLang=en)

## 01  Start with the problem

- •  What business problem are we solving, in one sentence?If we can't write that sentence, we're not ready to buy.
- •  How will we know it worked?Pick the number that actually matters. Throughput, not vanity metrics.

## 02  Governance and accountability

- •  Which decisions does the tool make, and which require a human?"Human in the loop" means a named person accountable for a defined decision, not a slogan.
- •  When the model is wrong, who answers for it, and how would we even know?If there's no way to catch the error, there's no governance.
- •  How do we keep a human in the loop at scale without slowing back to pre-AI speed?If the vendor has no answer for the HOW, keep looking.

## 03  The vendor

- •  What is this vendor incented to make clear, and what to leave fuzzy?Not villains. Vendors. Assume they optimize for the sale, not your governance.
- •  Stripped of the buzzwords, what does this do that we can't already do?If the answer needs jargon to sound impressive, be skeptical.
- •  What's the real cost after integration, training, and overlapping tools?The license price is rarely the price.

## 04  Your people, and the honest answer

- •  Who owns this internally after the vendor walks away?Your team knows your business better than any model. Name the owner.
- •  How will our people first hear about this, and when?Bring them in before you buy, not after. Adoption dies when a tool is imposed.
- •  Will the team see this as help, or as a threat to their jobs?Perception drives adoption. Name what changes, what doesn't, and who says so.
- •  Is AI even the right tool here, or would a simpler fix do?Sometimes the honest answer is no. That answer is still a win.

### Want a second set of eyes before you buy?

Bring these questions to a Leadership AI Briefing. Practical guidance over hype, governance over guesswork.

[Start a Leadership AI Briefing](https://www.catalystls.ai/contact?hsLang=en)

[![Catalyst Leadership Solutions logo](https://www.catalystls.ai/hs-fs/hubfs/Icons/catalyst-logo-horizontal-white-1000.png?width=240&name=catalyst-logo-horizontal-white-1000.png)](https://www.catalystls.ai/?hsLang=en)

 Practical AI, Governed with Integrity

 Helping small and mid-sized businesses in Middle Tennessee adopt AI responsibly with real governance, clear oversight, and humans in the loop.

#### Quick Links

- [Services](https://www.catalystls.ai/services?hsLang=en)
- [About](https://www.catalystls.ai/about?hsLang=en)
- [Contact](https://www.catalystls.ai/contact?hsLang=en)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsimmons)

#### Contact

**Dr. Robert (Bob) Simmons**  
 Founder & CEO

[Bobsimmons@catalystls.ai](mailto:Bobsimmons@CatalystLS.ai)

(615) 295-8817

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

 © 2026 Catalyst Leadership Solutions. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](https://www.catalystls.ai/privacy-policy?hsLang=en)