Meaningful human agency

Human agency, our ability to make choices and take action, is crucial in AI design. This principle goes beyond offering token choices to preserving real user control over important decisions. Meaningful agency carefully balances what gets automated: handling minor decisions automatically while keeping humans involved in significant ones.

For example, a music app might automatically create a playlist (low-stakes) but ask for confirmation before purchasing concert tickets (high-stakes). A good agency shows up in designs like AI that suggests rather than decides, clearly communicates its limitations, allows users to challenge automated decisions, and provides override options. The idea of "meaningful friction" recognizes that some decisions should intentionally take effort rather than happen automatically, like confirming a large purchase.

Agency design looks at both the presence of controls and how usable they are. It ensures people with different tech skills can easily find, understand, and use them. Preserving agency respects users' right to make their own choices while still delivering the convenience of AI assistance.