---
id: "quote-designing-defaults"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ Implications for Leaders"]
tags: ["product-architecture", "risk"]
related: ["concept-delegation-map"]
speakers: ["Mark J. Greeven", "Fabrice Beaulieu", "Wei Wei"]
sources: ["geo"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-geo"
originDay: 3
articleStem: "hbr-ext-15-china-ai-agents-commerce"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/04/research-what-chinas-ai-agents-reveal-about-the-future-of-commerce"
sourceTitle: "Research: What China’s AI Agents Reveal About the Future of Commerce"
---
# Someone Else's Agent Will Define the Defaults

> "The practical tool is a 'delegation map': which decisions can move to autopilot, which must stay human, and where checkpoints are non-negotiable. If you don't design this architecture, someone else's agent will define the defaults on your behalf."
> — [[entity-mark-j-greeven]], [[entity-fabrice-beaulieu]] and [[entity-wei-wei]]

## Why it matters
The imperative behind [[concept-delegation-map]] and [[action-create-delegation-map]]: delegation architecture is not optional — abdicating it hands default-setting power to third-party agents ([[entity-doubao]], [[entity-qwen-d3]], [[entity-xiaomei]]).