Motivation
We defined a novel process based on applied ethics, namely Z-Inspection®, to assess if an AI system is trustworthy. We use the definition of trustworthy AI given by the high-level European Commission’s expert group on AI.
Z-Inspection®: A Process to Assess Trustworthy AI
Roberto V. Zicari, John Brodersen, James Brusseau, Boris Düdder, Timo Eichhorn, Todor Ivanov, Georgios Kararigas , Pedro Kringen, Melissa McCullough, Florian Möslein, Karsten Tolle, Jesmin Jahan Tithi, Naveed Mushtaq, Gemma Roig , Norman Stürtz, Irmhild van Halem, Magnus Westerlund.
IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 2021
Print ISSN: 2637-6415
Online ISSN: 2637-6415
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/TTS.2021.3066209
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Ethical Principles
Z-Inspection® takes into account the “Framework for Trustworthy AI” as defined by the independent High-Level Expert Group of Artificial Intelligence, set by the European Commission.
Four ethical principles based on fundamental rights:
– Respect for human autonomy,
– Prevention of harm,
– Fairness, and
– Explicability.
Trustworthy AI Requirements
Seven key requirements:
– Human agency and oversight,
– Technical robustness and safety,
– Privacy and data governance,
– Transparency,
– Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness,
– Societal and environmental wellbeing,
– Accountability.
We added to the seven requirements the following two:
-Assessing if the ecosystems respect values of Western European democracy,
-Avoiding concentration of power.
How and When To Use Z-Inspection®
Z-Inspection® can be used:
At AI design phase as a co-creation process to ensure trustworthy AI;
Before/ after AI deployment as a validation process to assess trustworthy AI;
As part of AI certification to certify trustworthy AI;
As part of an AI audit to help verify claims;
As part of a trustworthy AI monitoring over time (“Ethical Maintenance”).
The Z-Inspection® process has the potential to play a key role in the context of the new EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulation.