In technical industries, precision isn’t just about engineering tolerances, it applies to language, too. For years, the acronym “HMI” has had one clear, widely understood meaning: Human Machine Interface. It refers to the physical or digital touchpoints that connect people to machines, whether that’s a membrane switch, a touchscreen, components, a joystick, or some combination of each. It’s not a niche term. It’s core to how complex systems are designed, operated, and maintained.
Lately, though, we’ve noticed “HMI” showing up in a very different context. Some in the artificial intelligence space have started using it to mean Human Made Intelligence, a term intended to distinguish AI developed through deliberate, human-driven processes. While that distinction might make sense in discussions about the ethics or architecture of AI systems, reusing an acronym that already carries critical meaning in other sectors brings unintended consequences, especially where safety is involved.
In industries like medical devices, aerospace, off-highway equipment, and industrial automation, an HMI isn’t theoretical. It’s the part of the system people rely on to control equipment, monitor conditions, and make fast, informed decisions. When the language around these systems becomes unclear, the stakes are high.
Let’s say a product spec calls out the need for “HMI functionality.” If that now means two different things depending on who’s reading it, interface vs. intelligence, it’s easy to imagine a disconnect during development or procurement. And when you’re dealing with systems that affect real-world outcomes, those disconnects can be expensive, or worse.
This kind of confusion doesn’t start with bad intentions. It tends to happen when terms evolve in silos. One group starts using an acronym as shorthand to mean something they frequently discuss, often without realizing how embedded that acronym is elsewhere. And because these communities don’t always overlap, the conflict goes unnoticed until it causes a problem.
That’s why clarity matters. The development of safety-critical devices depends on it.