What is human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence?

Definition

Human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence, often abbreviated HITL, places human decisions at defined points in an AI workflow. People can provide context, resolve conflicts, review outputs or approve consequential changes before they affect the wider system.

Approval should be meaningful rather than ceremonial. Reviewers need clear evidence, authority to reject the action and enough context to understand what governing intent or downstream work would change.

Acronyms and aliases

HITL acronymHITL artificial intelligence varianthuman-in-the-loop AI variant

Frequently asked questions

What does HITL mean?

HITL means human in the loop, a system design that gives people an active role in selected AI decisions or actions.

When should an AI agent require human approval?

Approval is important for high-impact, ambiguous or difficult-to-reverse changes, including changes to governing system intent.

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