Learn AI · Level 3 · Tech and tools · step 9 of 16 · word 5 of 6
What does human-in-the-loop mean in AI?
Human-in-the-loop means a person checks, approves or corrects an AI system's work at key steps, instead of letting it act completely on its own.
In plain English
The AI does the fast, repetitive part. A person makes the calls that matter: approving a payment, sending an email to a customer, signing off a medical report. It is like a junior colleague whose work you review before it goes out.
An example
An AI agent books your business trip. It finds flights and hotels and fills in the forms, then stops and shows you the total before anything is paid.
Why it matters
The EU AI Act requires human oversight for high-risk uses such as hiring and credit decisions. Many of AI’s real successes, from cancer screening to coding, keep a person in charge.
Watch out
A human only helps if they actually check. When the AI is usually right, people start clicking “approve” without looking. This is called automation bias.
Learn AI path · Level 3 · Tech and tools · step 9 of 16
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