The Problem: When your AI fails, "the algorithm did it" won't fly. Insurance, courts, and regulators need a human name.
The Pattern: Ships got captains. Bridges got licensed engineers. Planes got pilots. Medicine got attending physicians. Same reason: you can't punish "the team."
The Solution: System Liability Engineer (SLE) = one person who understands the system, has veto power, signs their name, and faces career consequences if it causes serious harm.
The Timeline: Insurance exclusions already at 28%. Courts asking "who was responsible?" by 2026. Mandatory by 2030. You can get ahead or get dragged.
The Litmus Test: Ask them: "If this system causes serious harm, are you prepared to explain it publicly and accept being fired?" If not "yes," they're not SLE.
Why It Works: AI can fake text, images, and code. It can't fake: years building reputation, a specific human body signing documents, finite career at stake, real legal consequences.
What To Do: Name one person SLE for your highest-stakes AI system this week. Give them veto power in writing. Have them map "who gets hurt, how badly." That's it—you're 80% there.
The Real Reason: When making truth-claims costs nothing, only institutions grounded in irreversible human cost survive. The SLE is that cost.
The Problem: When your AI fails, "the algorithm did it" won't fly. Insurance, courts, and regulators need a human name. The Pattern: Ships got captains. Bridges got licensed engineers. Planes got pilots. Medicine got attending physicians. Same reason: you can't punish "the team." The Solution: System Liability Engineer (SLE) = one person who understands the system, has veto power, signs their name, and faces career consequences if it causes serious harm. The Timeline: Insurance exclusions already at 28%. Courts asking "who was responsible?" by 2026. Mandatory by 2030. You can get ahead or get dragged. The Litmus Test: Ask them: "If this system causes serious harm, are you prepared to explain it publicly and accept being fired?" If not "yes," they're not SLE. Why It Works: AI can fake text, images, and code. It can't fake: years building reputation, a specific human body signing documents, finite career at stake, real legal consequences. What To Do: Name one person SLE for your highest-stakes AI system this week. Give them veto power in writing. Have them map "who gets hurt, how badly." That's it—you're 80% there. The Real Reason: When making truth-claims costs nothing, only institutions grounded in irreversible human cost survive. The SLE is that cost.