Human In The Loop (HITL)

I’ve heard this a lot in the last week or so, and it seems it’s taking off – Human In The Loop. HITL.

Specifically aimed at the implementation (and acceptance) of AI in the workplace or education settings, it means that we should remember and keep the human as part of the process, to not accept the outcome of the AI instruction or interaction as a point of fact.

This is not the first time we should consider HITL. The internet has given rise to the availability of a platform where every view or opinion can (and is) presented as more than just an opinion. If you use Facebook I’m sure you’ve seen, if not been directly impacted by, someone else presenting their view, sometimes aggressively, as a fact and how dare you not believe or question them!

When talking about fake news we’re told to think critically about whether that news about a celebrity or event sounds plausible or ‘real’, and we’re told to remain objective and consider the authenticity of the information. We need to do the same with output from AI, be it text, image, video, or something else.

When talking about using AI for student feedback, to complement or supplement the content design process, or something else, we must retain the human in the loop to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the output.

Human in the Loop. HITL. Remember this, it’ll be talked about a lot as we come to understand the new order AI and generative AI is bringing.

Photo by Giulia May on Unsplash