THE SHORT ANSWER
When should an AI workflow require human approval?
Require approval when a proposed action exceeds the workflow’s agreed permissions or carries consequences that need human judgment. Show the reviewer the request, supporting sources, and exact change. Define escalation and manual fallback paths, then test them before allowing the workflow to act on production systems.
Separate suggestions from actions
Generating a draft, changing a customer record, and issuing a refund carry different consequences. List the actions the workflow can take and which need approval. Give tools only the permissions needed for the agreed task.
Make review possible
A reviewer needs the original request, relevant sources, and a clear proposed change. Show uncertainty and missing information rather than hiding them behind a polished answer. Keep an audit trail of approvals and executed actions.
Plan for exceptions
Set limits for unfamiliar requests, missing sources, or repeated failures. Give people a way to stop the workflow and complete the task manually. Test the escalation path as carefully as the successful path.
A starting checklist
Name the person accountable for the workflow.
Define which actions require explicit approval.
Log the evidence used for a decision.
Review errors and update the test set.
Human review should be a designed part of the workflow, with time and context to make a decision. A checkbox that people cannot meaningfully assess adds little protection.
