This chapter challenges the assumption that placing a “human in the loop” is an adequate safeguard against the harms of AI. It introduces the concept of automation bias – a cognitive tendency for human decision-makers to over-rely on automated systems, often ignoring contradictory evidence or their own training. The chapter demonstrates how the human operator can become a mere “rubber stamp” for a flawed machine.

The risk is magnified with generative AI (GenAI), whose polished, authoritative-sounding outputs and ubiquitous availability deepen trust and erode critical thinking, leading to both errors of commission (following bad advice) and errors of omission (failing to monitor for errors). The chapter concludes that effective mitigation requires more than just human oversight; it demands intentional changes to system design, organizational culture, and human training to foster a healthy skepticism toward AI recommendations.