Over the past few weeks, I have watched teams of all ages come together and experience the energy and possibilities of collaboration. One team embarked on a new challenge, brainstorming how to approach an unfamiliar problem. Another engaged in thoughtful dialogue about applying existing frameworks to new technology. A third discussed how to support students who were struggling. Some conversations were intense, some were challenging, and ultimately, all drove progress.
As research continues to reveal how often people turn to AI for advice, companionship, and problem-solving, I can’t help but think about the urgent need to center the human in the loop. Although this term has taken on new meaning in recent years, at its core, it represents much more than a checkpoint where a person validates an automated system’s decision or output before moving forward.
This phrase has become shorthand for responsible use of algorithms. But there’s another meaning worth reclaiming, one that extends beyond the world of AI. Because in our schools, teams, and organizations, we also need the human who is in the loop.
Leadership is about connection. A system can be efficient, but it cannot be compassionate. A workflow can be streamlined, but it cannot inspire. What makes our work whole is the energy that comes from collaboration – the spark that arises when we brainstorm together, solve problems side-by-side, and learn from one another’s perspectives.
Our teams need humans who are in the loop – not just to check compliance boxes or sign off on final decisions, but to shape the process itself. Students need humans in the loop – not only as deliverers of instruction, but as partners in learning, who make sure student voices are heard and valued. And we, as individuals, need humans in the loop – because fulfillment doesn’t come from working in isolation; it comes from knowing our work is woven into something larger than ourselves.
It’s easy to get caught up in using new technology to advance our work. But sometimes we need to pause and remember that although there are many great reasons to use technology to be more efficient, get quick answers and faster results, and go beyond what we could otherwise achieve, we all still need the humans in the loop.
As leaders, our role is not simply to keep the human in the loop of technology. It is to keep the human in the loop of our work, our schools, and our communities. That is where real progress happens. And that is how we build the kind of trust that can never be outsourced to a system.