Human-AI Collaboration Protocols
AI without a defined protocol creates a new class of friction: uncertainty about who decides what. This guide defines the three operating modes and when to use each.
Mode 1 — AI Suggests, Human Verifies
Use for: decisions with significant consequences, novel situations outside AI training, work requiring contextual judgment. Protocol: AI generates a draft or recommendation with reasoning. Human reviews, modifies if needed, and approves. Human retains decision ownership.
Mode 2 — AI Executes, Human Reviews
Use for: well-defined, repeatable tasks with clear success criteria. Protocol: Human defines task parameters and success criteria. AI executes. Human reviews output against criteria. Escalation trigger defined in advance (what causes human override).
Mode 3 — AI Executes Autonomously
Use for: fully systematized tasks where failure impact is low and reversible. Protocol: Task parameters, success criteria, and failure responses defined. AI executes and logs. Human reviews logs asynchronously. Anomaly detection triggers human review.
Escalation Protocol
Every AI task must have a defined escalation path: what conditions trigger escalation, who receives the escalation, and within what time window they must respond. Unresolved escalations default to human execution — never silent failure.
Protocol Versioning
AI protocols should be versioned documents — not oral agreements. When a protocol changes, the change is logged with the date, reason, and approver. Teams should not operate on different protocol versions without deliberate alignment.
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