Glossary
Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)
Human-in-the-loop is a model where a human reviews, approves and steers the AI system's decisions to ensure quality and strategic direction.
Human-in-the-loop (HITL) is a model where a human actively reviews, approves, and steers the decisions an AI system makes. In a marketing context, this means the AI handles analysis and execution while an experienced strategist is responsible for quality assurance, brand protection, and strategic direction.
Why is human-in-the-loop important in marketing?
AI systems can make mistakes. They can generate hallucinations, miss cultural nuances, or optimize for short-term metrics at the expense of long-term business strategy. HITL prevents these risks by placing a human in the decision chain. According to Gartner, 30 percent of fully automated AI marketing campaigns have led to brand damage.
How does HITL work in practice?
In a typical HITL process:
- AI collects and analyzes data automatically.
- AI generates recommendations and experiments.
- A human expert reviews, adjusts, and approves.
- AI executes the approved actions.
- Results are measured and fed back to the AI.
Read more about how we apply HITL in our article Human-in-the-Loop: Why AI Marketing Works Best with a Human at the Helm. Growth Hackers uses HITL as the core of its AI marketing service.
