Demand That AI Systems Are transparent

A transparent artificial intelligence system is one in which it is possible to discover how, and why, the system made a decision, or in the case of a robot, acted the way it did.

We stress that open source code is neither necessary nor sufficient for transparency – clarity cannot be obfuscated by complexity.

For users, transparency is important because it builds trust in, and understanding of, the system, by providing a simple way for the user to understand what the system is doing and why.

C. For validation and certification of an AI system, transparency is important because it exposes the system’s processes for scrutiny.

D. If accidents occur, the AI will need to be transparent and accountable to an accident investigator, so the internal process that led to the accident can be understood.

E. Workers must have the right to demand transparency in the decisions and outcomes of AI systems as well as the underlying algorithms (see principle 4 below).

G. Following an accident, judges, juries, lawyers, and expert witnesses involved in the trial process require transparency and accountability to inform evidence and decision making.

The principle of transparency is a prerequisite for ascertaining that the remaining principles are observed.

Full transparency in an AI system should be facilitated by the presence of a device that can record information about said system in the form of an “ethical black box” that not only contains relevant data to ensure transparency and accountability of a system, but also includes clear data and information on the ethical considerations built into said system.

Full transparency in an AI system should be facilitated by the presence of a device that can record information about said system in the form of an “ethical black box” that not only contains relevant data to ensure transparency and accountability of a system, but also includes clear data and information on the ethical considerations built into said system.