The automate-or-manual binary hides the shape of most workflows. Collection and formatting may be reversible; interpretation may require expertise; publication or customer action may require formal authority.
The four-decision label here is an editorial mnemonic, not a global standard. Use NIST and OECD sources for formal risk and governance reference.
Evidence the course or workflow should provide
Define
A person sets the unit of work, purpose and completion boundary.
Observable evidence: Task card.Describe
AI may organise context; the data owner approves what is permitted.
Observable evidence: Context pack.Discern
AI can surface signals; a reviewer applies criteria and hard failures.
Observable evidence: Rubric and evidence.Designate
External authority and accountability remain assigned to people.
Observable evidence: Approval map.Decompose
Large work becomes reversible units with visible handoffs.
Observable evidence: Workflow map.Human-AI matrix by consequence
Fill each cell with an actual role; a shared task needs an explicit handoff.
| Work unit | AI role | Human role | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collect | Summarise/classify | Approve sources | Source gate |
| Draft | Generate options | Set intent and voice | Rubric |
| Analyse | Surface patterns | Interpret exceptions | Evidence review |
| Decide | Recommend | Hold authority | Sign-off |
| Act | Only authorised scope | Own consequence | Audit/rollback |
How to apply this guide
- Map the process firstIdentify input, judgement, output and external consequence before selecting tools.
- Rate each unitScore reversibility, data sensitivity and error severity separately.
- Start with low consequenceSummaries and drafts before decisions and actions.
- Test the handoffName who resolves ambiguity and by when.
Failure modes to avoid
- Whole-job delegationLow- and high-impact units become inseparable.
- Ceremonial human reviewA click without criteria or time is not a control.
- Model accountabilityA model cannot hold organisational authority.
Official and primary sources
Practise the matrix with AI Fluency Foundations
Compare the course scope and write the human review points for your own process.
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