What it means
A pilot is a limited real-world deployment of a solution with actual users, data and processes, designed to test whether it works in practice and to learn before wider rollout. It has a defined scope, duration, success criteria and decision point.
Real-world example
After a successful PoC, a city's building authority pilots an AI tool that checks planning applications for missing documents. Two teams use it for three months on real applications. The pilot measures time saved, error rates and staff satisfaction, and reveals that the tool needs better integration with the document system before wider rollout.
Why it matters for AI adoption
Pilots reveal the organisational realities a PoC cannot: workflow changes, training needs, edge cases, support and user acceptance. A good pilot has an honest end decision: scale, adjust or stop.
Often confused with
A PoC asks "Can it work?"; a pilot asks "Does it work here, for these people, in this process?"
Questions to ask
- What criteria will decide whether we scale, adjust or stop after the pilot?
- How will users in the pilot be trained and supported, and how will we gather their feedback?