"Human in the loop" is often treated as a checkbox added at the end of a build. By then it is too late — the system's data model, interfaces and workflow all assumed something else.
Design approvals first
Deciding early where judgement must remain human determines what the system prepares versus performs, what it logs, what it escalates and how interfaces are shaped. Approvals are architecture.
The right question
Not "should there be human approval?" but "which decisions carry consequence, and who owns them?" The answer defines the checkpoints. Everything between them can be automated with confidence.
Escalation is a feature
A system that escalates cleanly — with context, options and a recommendation — is more trustworthy than one that never asks. Uncertainty handled well is a sign of engineering, not weakness.