A useful automation can become unavailable, uncertain, or inappropriate without warning.
The practical check
Define a reversible fallback before the tool becomes central to a workflow.
Where AI fits
AI can compare the normal path with a deterministic fallback and list what work can continue safely.
The human decision
People decide when to pause, restore, or re-enable the feature.
The lesson
A safe off switch protects the work when the tool cannot be trusted to continue.
Inside the related Build Log, the deterministic fallback is mapped for moments when the AI feature must be paused.
AI Skills
Use this lesson with the AI assistant you already use
Use this to prepare a reviewable next step without changing any system.
Paste the prompt, share only the context needed to answer it, and treat the result as a draft for your review. Do not include confidential information or let an AI assistant make changes without your approval.
Optional: for a visual report and saved memory, run /dxdev first.
Don’t have it? Get it at dxdev.com/skills/dxdev. The prompt works without it.
dxdev LESSON · paste into your AI agent
LESSON: Design a reversible fallback
WHAT TO SHARE:
A de-identified description of the work, current evidence, and the decision you are considering.
ASK YOUR AGENT TO:
1. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions and unanswered questions.
2. Define a reversible fallback before the tool becomes central to a workflow.
3. Identify the narrowest useful next review step.
RETURN:
A short table with the evidence, uncertainty, human-owned decision, and next action.
BOUNDARY: Do not change records, contact anyone, route work, publish content, or act in an external system. A person must review the evidence and approve every consequential step.
