A substantive review is a meaningful examination of whether a document or decision is factually accurate, logically sound, complete, and appropriate to its context. It goes beyond checking that required steps were followed or adding a reviewer’s signature. For AI-generated drafts, this means checking claims against reliable source material, assessing the reasoning, and confirming that relevant legal or operational requirements apply.
In cybersecurity and AI governance, substantive review helps detect flawed, misleading, or manipulated output before it is used to make decisions. A polished draft can still contain errors, omit important context, or reflect bad input. Defenses include assigning qualified reviewers, giving them time and authority to challenge or reject outputs, and documenting what they checked. Without those conditions, automation bias can turn human oversight into a procedural sign-off rather than an effective control.