As AI takes on more tasks, what happens when people have to jump in to clean up after it?

If AI systems have been humming along nicely for weeks or months at a stretch, will the human overseeing them be able to take over when things go wrong? Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images

Imagine an artificial intelligence system that has performed reliably for months. Its recommendations are almost always right, and the employee reviewing them has learned that close scrutiny rarely changes the outcome. Then something unusual happens. The AI makes an error or can’t proceed and needs human intervention. The employee is expected to step in and remains responsible for the outcome.

But does the employee know how to do the task?