Automation bias is the tendency to trust an automated system's recommendation without properly checking whether it is correct. People may ignore other information, even when that information shows that the automated recommendation is wrong.
Automation bias can happen because people want to save time and mental effort. They may also believe that automated systems are more accurate or capable than they are.
It becomes more likely when people are under pressure, have a heavy workload, lack confidence, or do not have easy access to other information.
Automation should be treated as decision support, not as an unquestionable source of truth.
A pilot may follow an automated warning or system recommendation without checking other information, even when the recommendation is incorrect.
A doctor may change a correct decision because an automated clinical decision-support system gives an incorrect recommendation.
A person may blindly follow GPS directions even when the directions appear incorrect or unsafe.
A person may accept a spell-checker's suggested correction without checking whether the original word was actually correct.