# How to choose a first task for an AI teammate

By Sumus AI

The first task should teach you something about the workflow. Start with work that has a clear input, a visible output and a short review cycle.

# Choose work you can evaluate

A useful starting point is summarizing a set of public sources, preparing a comparison table, or turning meeting notes into a draft action list. You should be able to explain what makes the result useful before the task starts.

Avoid combining several unknowns in one assignment. If research quality is the question, do not also require a new publishing process and a new approval chain on the first attempt.

# Give a small example

Show one input and one acceptable output. Name the facts that must be verified. Ask the AI teammate to identify uncertainty and stop when an essential input is missing.

# Review the result, then expand

Check whether the output answers the original question, whether its sources support its claims, and whether another person can use it without extra explanation. Correct the brief before scaling a repetitive process.

For teams exploring the ai employee approach, this small first task provides a concrete way to evaluate the fit. Keep the initial commitment reversible and let the actual result determine the next step.