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arXiv · 2603.05510

Exploring Human-in-the-Loop Themes in AI Application Development: An Empirical Thematic Analysis

Parm Suksakul·Nathan Kittichaikoonkij·Nakhin Polthai·Aung Pyae
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Abstract

Developing and deploying AI applications in organizations is challenging when human decision authority and oversight are underspecified across the system lifecycle. Although Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) and Human-Centered AI (HCAI) principles are widely acknowledged, operational guidance for structuring roles, checkpoints, and feedback mechanisms remains fragmented. We report a multi-source qualitative study: a retrospective diary study of a customer-support chatbot and semi-structured interviews with eight AI experts from academia and industry. Through five-cycle thematic analysis of 1,435 codewords, we derive four themes: AI Governance and Human Authority, Human-in-the-Loop Iterative Refinement, AI System Lifecycle and Operational Constraints, and Human-AI Team Collaboration and Coordination. These themes provide empirical inputs for subsequent HITL framework design and validation.

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Parm Suksakul, Nathan Kittichaikoonkij, Nakhin Polthai, Aung Pyae. 2026-01-18. Exploring Human-in-the-Loop Themes in AI Application Development: An Empirical Thematic Analysis. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.05510

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