// GLOSSARY

Approval Model

The written structure defining who approves each step of an AI-assisted workflow, at which authority level and with which acceptance logic; it covers the use scenario, rules of engagement, artefact access, action level, proof-of-concept acceptance and controlled-pilot acceptance gates. Human-in-the-loop is a principle, and the approval model is that principle's working mechanism; one says 'the decision must stay with a human', the other answers 'which decision, with which human, at which threshold'. This distinction is decisive in practice, because if authority is unclear, automation turns into a risk rather than speed: a flow everyone can approve and a flow no one approves carry the same danger. The approval model divides authority across steps; reconnaissance and hypothesis generation may be low-threshold, while an action that touches the target or is irreversible requires a high-authority, documented approval. Together with observability, it is the core of the structure that separates AI use from the fear of a 'fully autonomous attack agent' and makes it accountable.