Transparency makes an AI system’s data, processes, and decision basis visible enough for scrutiny. For decisions affecting people, visibility supports trust, accountability, fairness, privacy, reliability, and explicability. section 10.2 section 11.17
High-stakes systems cannot justify decisions with “The computer told me to do it.” People affected by lending, criminal justice, incarceration, or probation decisions need clear, comprehensible reasons. section 10.2 section 11.17
Responsible deployment requires systems to:
- Use clear and comprehensible logic. section 10.2
- Explain the rationale behind each decision to stakeholders and end-users. section 11.17
- Undergo validation against technical and ethical standards before affecting citizens. section 10.2
- Avoid nontransparent black-box designs when regulations or mission-critical use require explicability. section 11.17
A consequential decision
Suppose a system recommends incarceration or probation for someone whose behavioral problems might respond to medication or social support. Transparency requires more than an outcome: the system must provide understandable reasoning and demonstrate reliability, fairness, and freedom from bias. section 10.2
