The Human Bit method
Fix the process before adding AI
Understand the real work, remove avoidable steps and compare simpler interventions before automating a broken process.
How it works
Recurring effort can create leverage, but repetition alone does not prove that AI is the right intervention. The task may exist because ownership, information or rules are unclear.
Compare human improvement, process simplification, existing software and deterministic automation before adding probabilistic assistance. AI earns its place only when interpretation or generation adds useful value.
See the difference
Before automating a Monday report, a team removes unused sections, agrees on one data owner and lets existing reporting software calculate the stable metrics. AI is tested only for a draft commentary.
A company buys an AI reporting tool to reproduce an inconsistent report that nobody uses to make a decision.
Watch for this failure
The new system produces the same waste faster while adding checking, subscription and integration costs.
Questions to ask
- What decision does this process enable?
- Which steps can be removed or clarified?
- Can existing software or a fixed rule do this reliably?
- Where is interpretation genuinely useful?