AI Incident Escalation Matrix: Who to Notify and When

When an AI incident hits, minutes matter. Knowing who to call—and who can wait—prevents both under-reaction (problems get worse) and over-reaction (executives woken at 3 AM for routine issues).

An escalation matrix provides clear guidance: this severity means these people, within this timeframe, via this channel. No judgment calls in the chaos of an incident.

This guide provides a framework for building your AI incident escalation matrix.

Executive Summary

• Escalation must be automatic, not deliberated: Clear criteria eliminate decision delay
• Different severities require different responses: Not every incident needs executive involvement
• AI incidents have unique escalation needs: Technical experts, compliance, and governance roles matter
• Communication channels affect response: Page critical incidents; email routine ones
• Over-escalation is better than under-escalation: When uncertain, escalate
• Escalation matrix needs testing: Tabletop exercises reveal gaps
• Keep it updated: Role changes, contact changes, and lessons learned require updates

Why This Matters Now

Without an escalation matrix:

• Response is delayed while someone decides who to call
• Wrong people are contacted based on whoever responder knows
• Critical incidents are under-escalated and problems grow
• Routine incidents are over-escalated and leadership loses confidence
• Accountability is unclear when things go wrong

An escalation matrix removes ambiguity. It's the difference between "I didn't know this was serious" and "I followed the process."

Escalation Matrix Components

Component 1: Severity Levels

Define what each severity means and typical AI incident examples:

Component 2: Notification Tiers

Define who should be notified at each tier:

Tier 1: Immediate Response Team

• On-call responder
• Technical lead
• System owner

Tier 2: Incident Management

• Incident Commander
• Core AI-IRT members
• Security lead (if security-relevant)

Tier 3: Senior Management

• VP/Director level
• Department heads
• Risk leadership

Tier 4: Executive

• C-level executives
• Board (for critical incidents)
• External stakeholders

Component 3: Timeframes

Define when notification must happen:

Component 4: Communication Channels

Define how to reach people by urgency:

AI Incident Escalation Matrix Template

Critical (P1) Incidents

High (P2) Incidents

Medium (P3) Incidents

Low (P4) Incidents

AI-Specific Escalation Considerations

When to Involve AI/ML Specialists

When to Involve Compliance/Legal

When to Involve External Parties

Escalation Decision Tree

Escalation Communication Templates

Critical Incident Initial Escalation

SUBJECT: [CRITICAL] AI Incident - [Brief Description]

TIME: [Date/Time]
SEVERITY: CRITICAL (P1)
INCIDENT COMMANDER: [Name]

SUMMARY:
[2-3 sentence description of what's happening]

CURRENT IMPACT:
- [Key impact 1]
- [Key impact 2]

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
- [Action being taken 1]
- [Action being taken 2]

NEXT UPDATE: [Time] or sooner if status changes

CONFERENCE BRIDGE: [Details]

QUESTIONS: Contact [Incident Commander] at [contact]

Escalation Update

SUBJECT: [SEVERITY] AI Incident Update - [Brief Description]

UPDATE TIME: [Date/Time]
INCIDENT STATUS: [Investigating/Contained/Resolved/Monitoring]

CHANGES SINCE LAST UPDATE:
- [Change 1]
- [Change 2]

CURRENT IMPACT:
[Updated impact assessment]

NEXT STEPS:
- [Planned action 1]
- [Planned action 2]

NEXT UPDATE: [Time]

Common Failure Modes

1. Escalation Paralysis

Responder uncertain who to call, so they call no one. Solution: Clear, unambiguous criteria.

2. Contact Information Outdated

Matrix lists someone who left six months ago. Solution: Regular verification (monthly for critical contacts).

3. Single Point of Contact

One person is the only escalation path. Solution: Backups for every role.

4. No After-Hours Path

Matrix works only during business hours. Solution: 24/7 contacts for critical roles.

5. Channel Mismatch

Emailing someone at 2 AM for a critical incident. Solution: Define channels by urgency.

6. Escalation Without Information

Escalating "there's a problem" without useful details. Solution: Templates that capture necessary information.

Implementation Checklist

Building the Matrix

• Define severity levels with clear criteria
• Identify roles for each escalation tier
• Assign primary and backup contacts
• Collect contact information (multiple channels)
• Define timeframes by severity
• Create escalation decision tree
• Develop communication templates

Testing and Validation

• Review with all escalation contacts
• Verify contact information works
• Conduct tabletop exercise
• Test after-hours escalation
• Validate decision tree with scenarios
• Document and address gaps

Maintenance

• Assign matrix owner
• Schedule regular contact verification (monthly)
• Update after organizational changes
• Review after each significant incident
• Annual comprehensive review

Metrics to Track

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I'm unsure about severity?

Escalate at the higher level. It's better to over-escalate and adjust than under-escalate and have problems grow.

Who can change severity during an incident?

The Incident Commander can adjust severity based on new information, with corresponding escalation changes.

What if the primary contact doesn't respond?

Move to backup contact immediately. Document non-response. Follow up after incident.

Should we escalate vendor issues the same way?

Escalate internally according to the matrix based on impact to your organization, regardless of whether the root cause is with a vendor.

How do we handle escalation during holidays?

Maintain on-call coverage and backup escalation paths for critical roles. Some escalations may be delayed for lower severities.

What if an executive requests lower escalation?

Document the request. Escalation levels should be based on objective criteria, not preferences. If criteria indicate escalation, escalate.

Taking Action

An escalation matrix is only useful if it exists before you need it, if everyone knows how to use it, and if it's kept current.

Build it now. Test it regularly. Update it when things change. When the incident comes, you'll be ready.

Ready to strengthen your AI incident escalation processes?

Pertama Partners helps organizations build comprehensive AI incident response capabilities, including escalation frameworks. Our AI Readiness Audit includes incident response assessment.

Book an AI Readiness Audit →

References

1. ITIL. (2024). Incident Management Practice Guide.
2. NIST. (2023). Computer Security Incident Handling Guide (SP 800-61).
3. PagerDuty. (2024). Incident Response Operations.
4. Atlassian. (2024). Incident Management Handbook.
5. Google SRE. (2024). Incident Response.