# Human-in-the-Loop

> A design where a person reviews, approves, or edits model output before a consequential action happens.

- Category: Agents & Autonomy
- Stage: Established
- Also called: HITL, Human approval
- Canonical: https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/human-in-the-loop

## Plain English

The AI can prepare the action, but a human still signs off.

## Example

An agent drafts a customer refund, but a manager approves it before money moves.

## Why it matters

It is one of the simplest ways to limit harm while still getting automation benefits.

## Related

- [Human-on-the-Loop](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/human-on-the-loop)
- [Guardrails](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/guardrails)
- [Approval Gate](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/approval-gate)

## Mentioned in

- [The Rise of AI Agents: How Autonomous AI Transformed Work in 2025-2026](https://www.joelcsaji.com/blog/rise-of-ai-agents-2025-2026)
- [The Evolution of Agentic AI: From Origins to Future Horizons](https://www.joelcsaji.com/blog/evolution-of-agentic-ai)

## Sources

- [Anthropic: Building Effective Agents](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/building-effective-agents)
- [OWASP Agentic AI Top 10](https://genai.owasp.org/2025/12/09/owasp-top-10-for-agentic-applications-the-benchmark-for-agentic-security-in-the-age-of-autonomous-ai/)