12 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an AI Agent Vendor

Choosing an AI agent vendor based solely on a polished demo can be misleading, as demos typically only showcase rehearsed inputs and not real-world edge cases. A practical 12-question checklist covers critical areas including failure handling, data ownership, unit costs, security, and rollback planning. Experts recommend soliciting at least three proposals to compare architectural approaches and pricing models without making procurement overly burdensome. Red flags to watch for include vague project scope, unclear testing responsibilities, and timelines that ignore iteration cycles — risks that are amplified in AI projects due to probabilistic outputs. Vendors who answer 'it depends' with clear reasoning are often more trustworthy than those offering only a slick sales presentation.