CARE: A Practical Governance Model for AI Deployment Decisions

Organizations deploying artificial intelligence systems often possess strong technical and riskmanagement controls but lack a structured method for determining whether deployment shouldproceed. The CARE governance model (Confirm, Align, Risk, Ethics) provides a lightweight decisionframework that separates evidence verification, intent alignment, operational risk evaluation, andethical review into independent governance gates. CARE complements existing frameworks such asthe NIST AI Risk Management Framework by governing deployment decisions rather than prescribingtechnical implementation controls. The model is intentionally designed for zero-budget implementationusing existing organizational roles while producing auditable decision records suitable for both publicandprivate-sector oversight.