Test the Handoff Before Giving an Agent More Autonomy

Idea: let an AI agent prepare the next step, but keep a person in charge of the decision.

For a team handling incoming support requests, start with one narrow task: the agent sorts a request and drafts a reply, but never sends it. Use approved, low-risk examples and tell the people involved what the trial does.

Run a bounded pilot. Track whether the draft helps complete the task, what people correct or reject, and whether it saves effort. Agree beforehand what would justify continuing—and stop if sensitive data enters an unapproved flow or people can’t tell what they’re approving.

Then choose: keep the human handoff, revise the task, or test a slightly broader step. The first useful proof isn’t that the agent acted on its own; it’s that people could make a better decision with it in the loop.