Human in the Loop
The ATM was invented 59 years ago.
https://youtu.be/zRv5kW5mAxM?is=zRmyPH5AnXkyDN-V
Early 2026 has seen a trend on Tech Twitter: something called 'looping'. This entails pitting two AI agents against each other, hoping that they eventually solve a problem that they could not solve alone. Where is the on-ramp? Where and how do you introduce the AIs to each other? How do you determine the problem they should be solving?
You need a human in the loop.
This is something that is a little obvious and comes up often in internet discussion circles. I'm more interested in the future, when this is eventually solved, and the wild speculation that we can make today. What should we be spending our time on now? Work has been solved.
Years ago, people often said that cashiers were not long for this world because of self-scan checkout booths. That was at least 20 years ago that I first started hearing this. Weirdly enough, going to my store today, there are fewer self-serve cash registers than they had 5 years ago!
Why? AI solved labor; why didn't cashiers get replaced 20 years ago?
It was theft. People were given the option to not interact with a human, and they took advantage of autonomy. There was no reason to pay for that lemon—I deserve it. I don't need to scan that extra soda. Coca-Cola increased prices by $4; I can't afford that!
Without the human element, there were no checks and balances. There was a subtle accountability when you talked with a human. People don't feel accountable to a robot. They don't feel accountable to AI. So what does that mean?
AI turns into a story of accountability.
You might be thinking, it's different. People can't take advantage of AI; it's not automation, it's something that defines automation. And no matter how true it is, there's always something that needs to be defined: where do we place the human in the loop? The trick here is knowing what product we want out of the process, including all byproducts. We have to truly understand the byproducts in all their facets. Salaries, knowledge transfer, learning, improvement, the whole picture. Human cashiers not being replaced paints this picture. They help prevent theft, and they enforce subtle accountability. They get information from customers. They receive a salary. They use that salary to push other businesses to provide goods. Some ensure the shelves look good. Some provide a nice social interaction. Some push their manager to replace the older systems that run the cash registers. Some give good ideas on improving the storefront.
Self-checkout doesn't do any of that. Self-checkout can technically remove the items from inventory and charge the customer. It also does this on the customer's terms. If they don't want to do that, it doesn't happen.
While it seems a little bit like rambling, it comes back to humans being one of the more important parts of the derived value for most products. At least right now, there's too much intrinsic value that humans provide. I don't see a clear future where humans are not necessary for a loop.
Breaking the loop seems to be a core part of the success humans are allowed to bring to any product or process.