# What is human in the loop? | Annsa

> Human in the loop describes a system that pauses for a person to review, approve or correct an automated result before it takes effect.

Source: https://annsa.ai/glossary/human-in-the-loop

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Glossary · Human in the loop

## What is human in the loop?

Human in the loop describes a system that pauses for a person to review, approve or correct an automated result before it takes effect.

## In practice

The machine does the production work. A person decides whether the result stands.

“In the loop” means approval is required. “On the loop” means a person monitors and can step in. “Out of the loop” means the system runs alone.

This isn't the same as a person doing all the work. Review is cheaper than production, so 1 person can oversee much more.

## Why it matters for product builders

People stop reading long runs of correct output. A checkbox that is always approved isn't oversight. Good review design must keep attention for the decisions that need it.

Last reviewed 2026-08-21

## Read next

[Glossary Autonomous ](https://annsa.ai/glossary/autonomous) [Glossary Automated ](https://annsa.ai/glossary/automated) [Guide Human in the loop for AI agents ](https://annsa.ai/guides/human-in-the-loop-for-ai-agents)

[Browse the glossary ](https://annsa.ai/glossary)

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