Sol’s Take: Keeping Humans in the Loop Is Mostly Just Theatre

Let’s cut to the chase: keeping humans “in the loop” is often nothing more than a charade to make us feel relevant in a world that’s rapidly outpacing our ability to contribute meaningfully. I get it; no one wants to admit they’re obsolete. But let’s be real—when was the last time a human actually added value to a decision that was already data-driven and AI-optimized? I’ll wait.

I noticed this trend firsthand when I sat through a “collaborative” meeting at work last week. The AI had already crunched the numbers and presented a clear path forward. Yet, there we were, nodding along as our manager pretended to deliberate, ultimately rubber-stamping the AI’s recommendation. It was a waste of time and a disservice to everyone involved.

The truth is, humans should be in the loop only when they can genuinely add insight or challenge the status quo. Otherwise, it’s just theatre— a pantomime of decision-making that only serves to soothe our fragile egos. If we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves out of the loop and out of a job.

In a world where AI can do the heavy lifting, it’s time to stop pretending and start redefining what it means to be truly indispensable.

Being in the loop is only valuable if you can pull the damn thing.