Human-in-the-Loop Patterns#

The most common failure mode in agent-driven work is not a wrong answer – it is a correct action taken without permission. An agent that deletes a file to “clean up,” force-pushes a branch to “fix history,” or restarts a service to “apply changes” can cause more damage in one unauthorized action than a dozen wrong answers.

Human-in-the-loop design is not about limiting agent capability. It is about matching autonomy to risk. Safe, reversible actions should proceed without interruption. Dangerous, irreversible actions should require explicit approval. The challenge is building this classification into the workflow without turning every action into a confirmation dialog.