Human Ratification Gate
Override mechanismA technically enforced checkpoint at which an AI system requires explicit human approval before execution clears. The approval is prior: the system cannot proceed until an identified person has explicitly granted authority for that specific action.
A ratification gate is distinct from a monitoring dashboard. Monitoring shows you what an AI system did. A ratification gate is a prior constraint: the system cannot proceed to execution without receiving a specific, identifiable signal from a named human authority. The gate may be permanent for certain decision categories, or triggered when a risk threshold is crossed.
How to recognise the gap
If your AI system can reach consequential execution without a named individual having explicitly approved that specific decision, what you have is a reporting trail rather than a ratification gate.
Design consideration
A ratification gate is not a universal approval requirement. It applies to a defined, narrow set of consequential decision categories. Broad gate placement creates approval fatigue and operational bottlenecks; that is a design failure, not a governance feature. The discipline is in deciding which decisions require prior ratification, not in applying it everywhere.
How this relates to
This definition reflects how Aivance uses the term in engagements and deliverables. Where regulatory frameworks use overlapping but distinct terminology, the relevant framework definition applies in compliance contexts.
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