Faysal Ahmed
Chapter 1

Introduction to Human–AI Interaction

Why human-centered design matters when building AI systems and agents.

Human–AI interaction (HAI) is the study and practice of designing interfaces and systems where humans and artificial intelligence collaborate. This chapter introduces core concepts: mental models, levels of autonomy, feedback loops, and the importance of clarity in delegation and control.

Key principles:

  • Make agency explicit: clearly communicate what the system can and cannot do.
  • Preserve human control: provide easy ways to review, pause, or undo automated actions.
  • Design for observability: show state, confidence, and provenance of AI outputs.

In the following chapters we’ll build practical patterns for designers and engineers who need to put these principles into practice.