Frequently Asked Questions

HumanLayer is a decision authority layer for AI agents.

It enables an AI agent to obtain, via API, a qualified, documented, and legally enforceable human decision when automation alone is not sufficient.

Arbitrium is the layer where an autonomous agent must pause and request a human decision. It is not a person, but a system threshold.

A Sentinel is a qualified expert who issues an auditable decision when the system reaches Arbitrium.

No. Never. HumanLayer is not the Sentinel.

All decisions are made by:

• an identified human
• qualified and authorized
• acting within a defined framework
• with a complete trace of context and reasoning

HumanLayer orchestrates, logs, and guarantees the process — not the content of the decision.

Your AI agents work… until a moment requires human accountability.

In most organizations, that moment causes:

• manual interruptions
• out-of-system approvals
• unpredictable delays
• insufficient traceability

HumanLayer allows you to cross that threshold without breaking compliance.

The organizations deploying AI agents: banks, insurers, hospitals, industrial groups, large enterprises.

AI agents are technical users of the API, not contractual customers.

Because the problem isn't expertise, but:

• availability
• prioritization
• la traceability
• the SLA
• integration with AI

HumanLayer:

• mobilizes Sentinels at the critical moment
• under a guaranteed timeline
• with a structured format
• and audit-ready evidence

You continue to use your internal experts. HumanLayer acts as a backstop, extension, and resilience layer.

Typically:

• outside business hours
• during load spikes
• for rare expertise
• when an independent second opinion is required
• when traceability is critical (audit, dispute, regulator)

Qualified professionals:

• lawyers
• credit analysts
• physicians
• compliance officers
• domain experts

Their identities, qualifications, and authorizations are verified and logged.

Responsibility belongs:

• to the Sentinel who renders the decision
• within the applicable contractual and regulatory framework

HumanLayer provides traceability, context, and evidence — but never assumes the decision.

Yes. Each organization defines:

• the types of authorized decisions
• validation levels
• escalation rules
• auto-rejection cases

HumanLayer enforces these policies by design.

HumanLayer is designed for:

• auditability
• traceability
• human accountability
• separation of duties

It facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements, internal audits, and external controls.

A clear artifact:

• which AI agent submitted the request
• what context was provided
• who decided
• when
• on what basis
• with what justification

👉 No fuzzy emails. No lost Slack.
👉 A usable chain of evidence.

HumanLayer applies a data minimization approach:

• only the elements necessary for the decision
• restricted access
• strict compartmentalization

Exact modalities depend on the deployment (standard / enterprise).

As an infrastructure API:

• synchronous or asynchronous calls
• webhooks
• SDKs (Python, TypeScript)
• integration with agent frameworks

For an AI agent, HumanLayer is a callable tool.

HumanLayer handles:

• timeouts
• escalations
• fallbacks
• default rejections

Behavior is configurable by the organization.

Yes. HumanLayer can work:

• with internal Sentinels
• with external Sentinels
• or a mix of both

HumanLayer remains the orchestration and evidence layer.

Per decision, not per hour.

Examples:

• compliance validation
• expert judgment
• authorized authority

Pricing reflects value, risk covered, and level of responsibility.

Because a human decision:

• avoids major risks
• unblocks entire workflows
• replaces costly friction

It's a spend directly correlated to the value created.

No. HumanLayer does the opposite: it forces AI to recognize its limits.

HumanLayer defines:

• when AI can act on its own
• and when it must stop

Make HumanLayer the standard layer of human accountability for autonomous systems.

Over time:

• AI agents will know when to request validation
• organizations will be able to automate without losing control
• accountability will remain human, orchestrated by software