decision
What It Means
A decision is a specific point in a business process where the system evaluates available information and business rules to determine what happens next. It's essentially an automated checkpoint that routes work, approves requests, or triggers different actions based on predefined criteria and current data.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Decisions are critical control points where AI systems make autonomous choices that directly impact business outcomes, customer experience, and regulatory compliance. Poor decision logic or biased AI models at these points can lead to discriminatory practices, operational failures, or regulatory violations that expose the organization to significant legal and reputational risks.
Real-World Example
A loan approval system reaches a decision point when evaluating a mortgage application - it analyzes the applicant's credit score, income, debt-to-income ratio, and employment history against the bank's lending criteria to automatically approve, deny, or flag the application for human review.
Common Confusion
People often confuse decisions with predictions - a prediction estimates what might happen, while a decision actually determines what the system will do based on that prediction and business rules.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare, decisions are automated evaluation points that determine patient care pathways, treatment approvals, or w...
Finance: In finance, decisions are automated checkpoints that evaluate transactions, compliance requirements, and risk parameters...
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Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"A conclusion reached after consideration of business rules and relevant data within a given process."Source: IEEE_Guide_IPA
"Types of statements in which a choice between two or more possible outcomes controls which set of actions will result."Source: IEEE_Soft_Vocab
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