AI Safety & Responsible AI
Kill switch
A way to stop or disable an AI system or its actions.
Example
An operator uses a control to halt an agent's ongoing workflow.
Why people use it
It gives an operator a way to halt unwanted ongoing activity.
What you'll hear
“Stop the agent now.”
What this means for you
Test shutdown behavior and provide recovery steps for completed actions.
Can you control it?
Sometimes
Sometimes. Your choices depend on the tool and your access. The settings available to an everyday user may differ from those available to the people running it.
Common questions
- Does stopping an agent undo actions already completed?
- Not necessarily. Sending, spending or modifying data may have lasting effects.
- Does a stop button guarantee an immediate halt?
- Not necessarily. Some actions may already be underway or handled by another service.
- Can a restart repeat an earlier action?
- It can if saved progress is unclear, which makes recovery behavior important.