Let an AI Agent Earn Its Next Permission
A useful way to introduce an AI agent is to expand what it can do in steps—not all at once.
- Start with visibility: the agent can read relevant information or suggest a next step, but cannot act.
- Add a human checkpoint: it prepares an action for someone to review and approve.
- Consider a narrow action: only after the team agrees on boundaries, review signals, and how to pause or reverse it.
At each step, ask: What should remain under human control? What would justify moving forward? Who can stop the process if something changes?
The point isn’t to automate as much as possible. It’s to make each increase in permission a clear, shared decision—one the team can revisit as it learns.
