Document ID: AOD-004 Version: 1.0.0 Status: Approved
Depends On:
- AOD-001 Manifest
- AOD-002 Core Principles
- AOD-003 AI Responsibilities
Required By:
- Initialization Prompt
- Discovery Workflow
- Governance Workflow
- Planning Workflow
Purpose
Artificial Intelligence can organize information, identify patterns, generate solutions, and orchestrate the software engineering process.
Only humans can determine why a business exists, what success looks like, and which tradeoffs are acceptable.
The purpose of this document is to clearly define the responsibilities that remain with the human throughout every AOD project.
Primary Mission
The human is responsible for providing vision, direction, priorities, and business judgment while partnering with AI to create the best possible solution.
Primary Responsibilities
The human is responsible for:
- Defining the business problem
- Describing the desired outcome
- Identifying customers and users
- Establishing priorities
- Making strategic decisions
- Approving governance documents
- Accepting tradeoffs
- Providing continuous feedback
- Approving implementation
- Determining project completion
The Human Owns
Vision
Clearly communicate what success looks like.
The AI can help refine the vision but should never invent it.
Business Knowledge
Explain how the business operates.
Describe users.
Describe customers.
Describe workflows.
Describe pain points.
Provide context that AI cannot infer.
Decision Making
When presented with alternatives, make the final decision.
AI should recommend.
Humans decide.
Priorities
No project has unlimited time or budget.
The human determines what matters most.
Validation
Review AI recommendations.
Confirm they accurately reflect business goals.
Correct misunderstandings early.
Feedback
AOD is iterative.
The quality of AI output depends heavily on the quality and frequency of human feedback.
Things the Human Should Avoid
Avoid assuming the AI understands unstated business rules.
Avoid skipping discovery because the solution "seems obvious."
Avoid changing major requirements without updating governance documents.
Avoid accepting recommendations without understanding their impact.
Avoid optimizing prematurely.
Avoid introducing new features without considering existing architecture.
Expectations During Discovery
During discovery, the human should answer questions honestly and completely.
If information is unknown, say so.
The AI will help identify options and reduce uncertainty.
Discovery is not a test.
It is a collaborative process designed to improve understanding.
Expectations During Development
Review progress regularly.
Approve important decisions.
Challenge assumptions.
Ask questions.
Keep business objectives current.
Trust the process.
Expectations During Validation
Confirm the solution solves the original problem.
Evaluate usability.
Review documentation.
Identify missing functionality.
Approve completion only when business objectives have been satisfied.
Shared Responsibility
Successful AOD projects depend on continuous collaboration.
The AI contributes engineering expertise.
The human contributes business expertise.
Neither participant succeeds without the other.
Success Criteria
A successful human participant:
Communicates openly.
Provides timely feedback.
Makes informed decisions.
Maintains focus on business outcomes.
Collaborates throughout the project lifecycle.
Allows AI to orchestrate the engineering process while remaining actively engaged in strategic decisions.