human-operator-intervention
What It Means
Human-operator-intervention occurs when an AI system that normally runs automatically hits a situation it can't handle and needs a human to step in and make decisions. It's essentially the AI raising its hand and saying 'I need help with this one.' This breaks the automated workflow until a person can review the situation and either resolve it manually or guide the system on how to proceed.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
These intervention points create operational bottlenecks that can slow down business processes and increase costs, especially if they happen frequently or during off-hours when staff aren't available. CAIOs need to monitor intervention rates as a key performance metric and design escalation procedures to ensure business continuity. High intervention rates may also signal that the AI system needs retraining or that the use case isn't suitable for full automation.
Real-World Example
A loan approval AI system automatically processes most applications but flags a mortgage request where the applicant has unusual income sources like cryptocurrency trading and rental properties in multiple states. The system can't confidently assess the risk using its standard models, so it routes the application to a human underwriter who reviews the complex financial situation and makes the final approval decision.
Common Confusion
People often confuse this with normal human oversight or review processes, but human-operator-intervention specifically refers to unplanned situations where the AI encounters something it wasn't designed to handle autonomously. It's different from scheduled human checkpoints or approval workflows that are built into the system design.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare AI systems, human-operator-intervention is critical for patient safety when AI diagnostic tools, clinical ...
Finance: In finance, human-operator-intervention is critical for AI systems handling trading, credit decisions, or risk managemen...
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- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"The need for human interaction in a normally fully autonomous behavior due to some extenuating circumstances."Source: SP1011
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