As AI becomes capable of handling more tasks, it’s natural to assume that successful automation means involving fewer people. In some parts of a screening process, that may be true. Repetitive tasks that once required manual effort can increasingly be handled by technology.
But applying AI effectively means looking beyond what the technology can do to what the process actually requires.
In background screening, people and technology bring different capabilities to the table. AI can process information quickly and at scale, but it cannot physically reach every source or reliably handle every interaction on its own. Understanding those realities is what makes it possible to determine where technology can take on more of the work—and where people still have an important role to play.
That makes “human in the loop” a useful idea to consider. The phrase is often associated with human review or oversight. But human involvement can serve different purposes depending on what the process requires.
The question, then, isn't simply how many human steps can be removed. It's where technology can take on more of the work, where people are still needed, and how the two can work together to make the overall process better.
Sometimes automation starts with a person
Court records offer a very literal example.
Not every court source used in background screening is readily accessible online. In some jurisdictions, someone still has to physically go to a courthouse or public-access terminal to get the information.
Even the most advanced AI in the world can't walk into that courthouse by itself.
But once a researcher gets there, technology can change what happens next. Collecting court information can involve capturing or printing records at the source and manually entering that information later. With the right technology, however, information can be captured, extracted, and structured as it's collected, then reviewed against the source before it moves on.
The result is a workflow in which the person and the technology each have a defined role. Technology reduces the amount of time and manual processing required, while the person provides the physical access and review the process still requires.
Automation doesn't have to be all or nothing
The dividing line is not always as obvious as a courthouse door.
Consider employment verification. Technology may be able to handle repeated outreach or guide a conversation through a standard set of questions. But the interaction itself can take unexpected turns.
A call may be transferred to another department. The person who answers may not have the information. They may ask for a callback. Or they may not want to interact with an automated system at all.
Those exceptions don't mean the entire process has to remain manual. They do mean AI needs a clearly defined role within the broader workflow and the right context to perform it well. When something falls outside what it can handle reliably, there needs to be another path, which may mean handing the task to a person.
Together, these examples show how the human role can change as technology takes on more of the process. Human involvement can become more focused, while technology can help bring greater consistency to the work.
Having a human in the loop matters. So does making sure the human is in the right loop.
Heading to the PBSA Annual Conference in Arlington, Texas, September 27–29? Come see InformData at booth #231. We're also hosting a VIP lounge for clients and invited guests, with interactive discussions and demonstrations showing how InformData is bringing technology, AI, and human expertise together to engineer better screening workflows. Interested in joining us? Ask your InformData representative about access.
