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[ARTICLE · art-42652] src=simonwillison.net ↗ pub= topic=generative-ai verified=true sentiment=· neutral

Quoting Jon Udell

Jon Udell argues against the phrase 'human in the loop,' advocating instead for a model where humans invite AI agents into their existing workflows as team members, not as autonomous decision-makers. He emphasizes that agent-assisted processes should remain transparent and reviewable, not black boxes.

read1 min views2 publishedJun 28, 2026

HumanAgent in the loopI dislike the phrase “human in the loop” because it cedes authority to the machines. Let’s flip the narrative. It’s our loop, we work the same way we always have, now we recruit agents to join the team. An agent-assisted process need not be a black box that takes in prompts and emits features. [...]

Let’s do agentic software development like that. Not as a loop we’ve been excluded from, instead as one we invite agents into.

— [Jon Udell](https://blog.jonudell.net/2026/06/28/doctor-it-hurts-when-agents-create-unreviewable-prs-dont-do-that/), “Doctor, it hurts when agents create unreviewable PRs.” “Don’t do that.”

Tags: [jon-udell](https://simonwillison.net/tags/jon-udell), [coding-agents](https://simonwillison.net/tags/coding-agents), [generative-ai](https://simonwillison.net/tags/generative-ai), [agentic-engineering](https://simonwillison.net/tags/agentic-engineering), [ai](https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai), [llms](https://simonwillison.net/tags/llms)
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