Human-in-the-loop
Keeping a human approval step inside an automated flow. Technically it's a specific design choice that has to answer three things: which step, who reviews it, and against what criteria it passes.
Someone still has to check it.
Which step? Who reviews it? What makes it a pass?
Why this one gets stretched
The phrase often gets used to vouch for a system that isn't reliable yet — say a human is in the loop and the risk question feels answered. But if that person has no time to actually look and no authority to overrule, the human in the loop is a signature, not a safeguard.
Usually heard: The moment someone asks what happens when it gets it wrong.
Related terms
The literal definitions aim to be accurate. The only column joking on this page is the meeting-room one.