AI-DLC Mode Selection

AI-DLC Mode Selection

AI-DLC supports three modes of human-AI collaboration. Choosing the right mode for each phase of work is critical for balancing productivity, quality, and control.

The Three Modes

HITL - Human In The Loop

Human actively participates in every decision.

Characteristics:

• Every action reviewed by human
• Synchronous collaboration
• Human makes final decisions
• AI proposes, human disposes

When to Use:

• Defining requirements (elaboration)
• Making architectural decisions
• Reviewing security-sensitive changes
• Course corrections when AI is off track

Examples:

User: "Add user authentication"
AI: "What authentication method? OAuth, email/​password, or both?"
User: "Start with email/​password, we'll add OAuth later"
AI: "Should we support 'remember me'?"
User: "Yes, 30-day sessions"

OHOTL - Occasional Human Over The Loop

Human sets direction, AI operates with periodic checkpoints.

Characteristics:

• AI works autonomously on defined tasks
• Human reviews at milestones
• Human intervenes when stuck or for approval
• Balance of autonomy and oversight

When to Use:

• Building well-defined features
• Tasks with clear completion criteria
• When backpressure provides quality gates
• Medium-complexity work

Examples:

User: "Implement the login form based on these criteria"
AI: [Works autonomously]
AI: "Login form complete. Tests passing. Ready for review."
User: "Looks good, continue to the API integration"

AHOTL - Autonomous Human Over The Loop

AI operates with minimal human involvement.

Characteristics:

• AI makes most decisions independently
• Human reviews only at completion or on exception
• Requires very clear criteria and robust backpressure
• Maximum autonomy

When to Use:

• Well-defined, routine tasks
• Tasks with comprehensive test coverage
• When all edge cases are known
• Low-risk changes

Examples:

User: "Implement all the CRUD endpoints for the User model"
AI: [Completes multiple iterations autonomously]
AI: "All endpoints implemented. 47 tests passing. PR ready."
User: "Merged."

Mode Selection Framework

Decision Matrix

Questions to Ask

1. How clear are the requirements?

   • Vague → HITL
   • Mostly clear → OHOTL
   • Crystal clear → AHOTL

2. What's the risk of mistakes?

   • Security/​data loss → HITL
   • User-facing bugs → OHOTL
   • Internal tooling → AHOTL

3. How good is test coverage?

   • No tests → HITL
   • Some tests → OHOTL
   • Comprehensive tests → AHOTL

4. How familiar is the domain?

   • New/​complex domain → HITL
   • Familiar patterns → OHOTL
   • Routine work → AHOTL

5. How reversible are changes?

   • Database migrations → HITL
   • API changes → OHOTL
   • Internal refactoring → AHOTL

Mode by Phase

Default Workflow Modes

Mode Overrides

You can override defaults in .ai-dlc/​hats.yml:

hats:
  builder:
    mode: AHOTL  # Override to full autonomy
    instructions: |
      Work autonomously. Only stop if blocked.

Transitioning Between Modes

Upgrading Autonomy (HITL → OHOTL → AHOTL)

When to upgrade:

• Requirements have stabilized
• Test coverage is comprehensive
• Pattern is established
• Human has built trust

Example:

Session 1 (HITL): Define auth requirements together
Session 2 (HITL): Review initial implementation
Session 3 (OHOTL): AI implements remaining endpoints
Session 4 (AHOTL): AI handles routine CRUD operations

Downgrading Autonomy (AHOTL → OHOTL → HITL)

When to downgrade:

• Unexpected complexity discovered
• AI making repeated mistakes
• Security concerns arise
• Requirements changed

Example:

AI operating in AHOTL...
AI: "I'm stuck on edge case X. Need clarification."
→ Downgrade to HITL for this issue
→ Resume OHOTL once resolved

Mode Indicators

Signs You're in the Wrong Mode

Too much autonomy (should downgrade):

• Repeated mistakes on similar issues
• Misunderstanding requirements
• Missing edge cases
• User frequently correcting course

Too little autonomy (should upgrade):

• User rubber-stamping every decision
• Routine, repetitive work
• Comprehensive test coverage exists
• AI consistently making good decisions

Calibration Questions

Ask periodically:

• "Am I making decisions the human should make?"
• "Am I asking for approval on routine choices?"
• "Are my autonomous decisions causing rework?"
• "Is the human adding value at this checkpoint?"

Mode-Specific Behaviors

In HITL Mode

- Ask before every significant decision
- Present options with trade-offs
- Wait for explicit approval
- Document decisions with rationale

In OHOTL Mode

- Make routine decisions autonomously
- Check in at milestones
- Ask when genuinely uncertain
- Save progress frequently (han keep)

In AHOTL Mode

- Make all decisions within criteria bounds
- Only interrupt for true blockers
- Log decisions for later review
- Complete full task before seeking feedback

Backpressure by Mode

HITL Backpressure

Human IS the backpressure:

• Every change reviewed
• Human catches issues immediately
• No automated gates needed

OHOTL Backpressure

Mix of automated and human:

• Automated: tests, lint, types
• Human: milestone reviews, PR approval
• AI operates freely within automated bounds

AHOTL Backpressure

Fully automated:

• Comprehensive test suite
• Strict type checking
• Automated code review tools
• CI/​CD pipeline as final gate

Examples

Example 1: Security Feature

phase: authentication
mode: HITL  # Security-sensitive
reason: |
  Authentication has security implications.
  Every decision needs human review.

Example 2: UI Component

phase: component_library
mode: OHOTL  # Balanced
reason: |
  Design system is established.
  AI implements, human reviews at milestones.

Example 3: Data Migration Script

phase: migration
mode: HITL  # High risk
reason: |
  Database changes are difficult to reverse.
  Human must verify each step.

Example 4: Unit Tests

phase: test_writing
mode: AHOTL  # Low risk
reason: |
  Tests are additive and easily reversible.
  Existing tests validate correctness.

Summary

Default rule: Start with HITL for new work, upgrade autonomy as trust builds and tests accumulate.