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AI systems can route messages, update records, make decisions, and trigger entire workflows across multiple apps without you touching anything. But as AI shifts more and more from being an assistive tool to powering autonomous systems, humans have a new kind of responsibility: making sure nothing goes wrong.

Even the smartest AI systems still struggle to understand nuance, edge cases, or the unwritten rules teams use to make decisions. When autonomous agents act without that context, small gaps can quickly turn into big problems. That’s where human-in-the-loop (HITL) comes in.

Instead of letting an AI system run unchecked, you can design checkpoints where humans step in with experience, context, and common sense. This intervention ensures that the decisions that should involve humans actually do involve humans. And with an AI orchestration tool, you can build those checkpoints directly into an AI workflow.

Zapier shares what human-in-the-loop really means, why it’s necessary, and some practical patterns for adding HITL to agentic workflows.

What does human-in-the-loop mean?

Human-in-the-loop refers to the intentional integration of human oversight into autonomous AI workflows at critical decision points. Instead of letting an agent execute tasks end-to-end and hoping it makes the right call, HITL adds user approval, rejection, or feedback checkpoints before the workflow continues.

Let’s say you’re building an automated lead gen system that identifies potential customers, adds them to your CRM, and sends out targeted emails. Most of that work can run autonomously, but you might need human approval if the agent wants to update an existing customer record or maybe to review emails before they get sent.

And it’s not about being a control freak (although it’s great for that too). HITL gives you all the benefits of AI automation running at full speed, plus peace of mind when decisions carry risk, nuance, or downstream impact. It prevents irreversible errors, ensures compliance in regulated scenarios, and catches ethical issues that AI might overlook. Every approval, rejection, or correction from a human to the AI workflow also becomes training data for the agent. Over time, AI systems learn from your feedback and improve performance.

With an AI orchestration tool, you can build human-in-the-loop steps and checkpoints directly into your AI workflows and AI agents. That means no extra setup for HITL, and you’ll be able to log every pause, human decision, and context for compliance and review.

When should you use HITL in AI workflows?

If you have an AI agent taking action on your behalf, think hard about where you might need a human in the loop. While the goal of AI automation is speed, speed becomes less relevant wh

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Food justice is the idea that everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food that is both appealing and appropriate for one’s culture. It examines the food system as a whole and emphasizes that equity and care should be top of mind for each stage of the food process—from how the land is cultivated to the workers tending to the crops to those who consume the product.

Food justice is also the right to grow, sell, and eat healthy food. Efforts and initiatives to ensure people have access to food are not engaging in charity. Instead, they are supporting an individual’s right to food options. The same is true for farmworker resources and support.

Based on the food justice framework, everyone involved in food production should be treated well and paid a fair wage, regardless of their documentation status or ethnic background.

Similar, and often used interchangeably, is the food sovereignty framework. The basics remain the same, but food sovereignty goes beyond providing access to food and questioning the imbalanced food systems. Food sovereignty pushes for community self-sufficiency and places marginalized communities at the helm of their own healing and sustainability.

Working within a food justice framework requires an acknowledgment of the ongoing and intentional barriers that marginalized communities face in connection with access to food, namely Black and Brown communities and those facing homelessness. Almost a quarter of Black households and 1 in 5 Hispanic households experienced food insecurity in 2022, according to Department of Agriculture data.

Taylor Scott, founder of RVA Community Fridges, a mutual-aid group based around the Richmond, Virginia area, says this includes taking note of food insecurity’s historical roots. Scott told Stacker this includes “where we get our food from, how we get foods, what foods we can get, and why those things are the way they are.” It also means breaking down existing systems, Scott added.

Analyzing the food system from different perspectives creates the opportunity for varied approaches. Organizations have leaned into food justice work in many ways, including building and managing community fridges, connecting Black farmers to funding and community, making and serving meals to those who need them, and advocating for lasting policy change.

Through a combination of interviews, local and federal data, and news reports, Stacker compiled a list of 10 organizations throughout the U.S. with missions connected to food justice or food sovereignty through direct food services and assistance, teaching and cultivating positive land stewardship, support of Black farmers, or food rescue efforts and initiatives.

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Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network

SAAFON is a nonprofit that connects Black farmers in the southeastern United States. Its mission revolves around a

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Choosing an expense management system can have a significant impact on your company’s financial health and operational efficiency. With the right platform, you can streamline the expense process, reduce costly errors, ensure regulatory compliance, and automate manual tasks. Ultimately, all of these benefits flow directly to your bottom line.

Without an expense management solution, finance teams need to navigate the inefficiencies of outdated expense processes. Manual receipt tracking, reconciling expenses on a spreadsheet, and paper-based approvals delay month-end closes and drain productivity. Meanwhile, poor expense visibility leaves companies vulnerable to preventable policy violations and budget overruns.

Yet, it can be challenging to find the right solution for your business. The wrong choice can lock you into inflexible workflows, create compliance headaches, or fail to scale with your growth. On the other hand, the right choice becomes a competitive advantage that frees your team from manual tasks while providing the visibility and controls needed to optimize spending.

Brex walks you through the most important features to evaluate when selecting an expense management system. From real-time tracking and automated reconciliation to corporate cards and global team support, read on to learn what startups and enterprises should prioritize to make an informed, strategic decision that serves their unique requirements and growth trajectory.

Real-time expense tracking

Real-time business expense tracking provides updated insights into company spending, enabling finance teams to catch issues early and adjust budgets before small problems escalate into big ones. With real-time tracking, every card swipe, invoice, or receipt gets logged immediately, giving you a live view of spending as it happens. Modern expense platforms make this possible by syncing directly with business credit cards and banking feeds to automatically pull in transactions and categorize them instantly.

This immediate insight into spending means you don’t have to wait until month-end to see where money went. With expense management tools that offer real-time tracking, companies gain the ability to make informed decisions based on current data rather than reacting to outdated information. The approach also reduces manual work and errors since data gets captured automatically rather than re-entered by employees who might forget details or misplace receipts.

What startups should look for

For startups, every dollar saved can extend their runway. Real-time tracking helps small teams stay on top of tight budgets and immediately correct any overspending before it jeopardizes cash flow. When you’re operating with limited resources, catching a recurring software subscription that’s no longer needed or spotting an unusually high travel expense can make a meaningful difference to your burn rate.

What enterprises should look for

Enterprises with multiple departments a

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A year ago, housing economists made bold forecasts about 2025. Mortgage rates would stabilize. Inventory would finally loosen. First-time buyers would keep struggling.

The forecasters got far more right than wrong. While some predictions didn’t pan out as expected, most of 2025’s major housing trends unfolded as anticipated, with the market showing modest but real signs of improvement. NewHomeSource, a new home listings site with customer reviews, examines which 2025 housing market predictions proved accurate.

What the Experts Got Right

1. Mortgage Rates Stabilized Near 6%

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) predicted rates would hover around 6%, and they nailed it. The 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.72% for the year and currently sits at 6.19%. It’s not the dramatic drop buyers hoped for, but stability mattered more, allowing both sides to make moves with greater confidence.

2. Housing Inventory Finally Increased

Forecasters expected the lock-in effect to ease, and it did. Homeowners with low mortgage rates who were choosing not to sell to avoid trading their rate for a higher one finally felt safe enough to start selling. Inventory jumped 27% to 33% year over year. Twelve states now have more homes on the market than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. First-Time Buyers Struggled Even More

Affordability challenges kept first-time buyers sidelined. Their market share dropped to a record low of 21%, down from 24%. That’s the lowest share since 1981.

Those who did succeed often took creative approaches, said Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at NAR.

“Some savvy first-time buyers saved by moving in with family before purchasing and saved on rent, while others doubled up with roommates to purchase a home,” Lautz said.

4. All-Cash Buyers Dominated

Among repeat buyers, 30% paid all cash, marking an all-time high. The prevalence of cash purchases reflected broader wealth dynamics and the ongoing affordability challenges in the housing market.

“Home buyers who successfully entered the home buying market did so relying on wealth such as housing equity from their past home, financial assets from stocks or retirement savings, often a gift or loan from a friend or family member played a role,” Lautz said.

5. Home Prices Rose Modestly

Both NAR and the Mortgage Bankers Asso

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Medicare Advantage over-the-counter (OTC) benefits are insurance-provided allowances that enable seniors to buy everyday health and wellness products. They work similarly to FSA accounts and the average person on Medicare Advantage has $400 in OTC credits to purchase items they would otherwise pay for out of their own pocket.

These funds are included as an ancillary benefit for many Medicare Advantage plans, yet they frequently go unused because seniors aren’t aware they have them, don’t know which items are eligible, or find the purchasing process too confusing.

Every year, $5 billion in OTC benefits go unspent. Chapter explains how OTC benefits work and how to use them.

The importance of OTC benefits for seniors

Medicare Advantage OTC allowances can be used on more than just over-the-counter medicines. Seniors can use their OTC dollars on everyday items, like toothpaste, toilet paper, lotion, and sunscreen.

These OTC allowances have become even more important for seniors as inflation and the cost of consumer goods go up. Many seniors, who often live off of fixed incomes and limited retirement accounts, rely on these benefits to get by.

The cost of everyday essentials, from pain relievers to vitamins to basic personal care items, has climbed over the past few years. For many older adults, even small price increases can force difficult tradeoffs. OTC benefits are meant to ease this burden, helping seniors access the products they depend on without dipping into limited monthly funds.

If you are someone who relies on OTC benefits, it’s important to check your plan during Medicare enrollment periods. Plans change, and many of these benefits are being reduced or eliminated.

OTC benefits aren’t guaranteed forever

Despite their value, these benefits are shrinking. Between 2024 and 2025, the share of Medicare Advantage plans offering OTC benefits declined from 85% to 73%. 2026 Medicare Advantage plans will continue to reduce ancillary benefits.

While many Medicare Advantage plans will continue to offer OTC benefits, allowances may decrease or go away entirely. So, if you have an OTC benefit, use it while you can.

Why so many OTC dollars go unused

The barriers are limited awareness, long or confusing plan materials, and difficult purchasing systems. Many older adults struggle with small-print catalogs or websites that require account setup and item codes. Expiration dates add another layer of com