Cognitive Sovereignty Self-Audit for DevOps Engineers
This audit measures whether your infrastructure decisions remain yours or whether AI tools are making the judgements that should stay in your hands. DevOps work requires understanding the systems you build, not just accepting what AI generates.
When an AI tool suggests a configuration, always ask yourself first what you think it should be. Write it down. Then check what the AI suggested. This habit restores your independence.
Keep a 'configuration decision log' where you record why each infrastructure choice was made in your own words, separate from any AI-generated documentation.
Test AI suggestions against your actual system behaviour, not just against the AI's reasoning. Real systems surprise you in ways AI cannot anticipate.
Designate one senior engineer as the 'translation layer' between AI tools and your team. Their job is to read AI outputs and explain them in terms specific to your systems, not just relay what the tool said.
Run a monthly 'AI-free incident drill' where you diagnose a real incident without any AI assistance. This maintains the diagnostic skills you need when tools fail.