Ethics-Based Auditing of Automated Decision-Making Systems: Intervention Points and Policy Implications

Mökander, J., Axente, M. Ethics-based auditing of automated decision-making systems: intervention points and policy implications. AI & Soc (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01286-x

36 Pages Posted: 10 Nov 2021

See all articles by Jakob Mökander

Jakob Mökander

University of Oxford - Oxford Internet Institute; Princeton University - Center for Information Technology Policy

maria axente

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: June 18, 2021

Abstract

Organisations increasingly use automated decision-making systems (ADMS) to inform decisions that affect humans and their environment. While the use of ADMS can improve the accuracy and efficiency of decision-making processes, it is also coupled with ethical challenges. Unfortunately, the governance mechanisms currently used to oversee human decision-making often fail when applied to ADMS. In previous work, we proposed that ethics-based auditing (EBA) – that is, a structured process by which ADMS are assessed for consistency with relevant principles or norms – can (a) help organisations verify claims about their ADMS and (b) provide decision-subjects with justifications for the outputs produced by ADMS. In this article, we outline the conditions under which EBA procedures can be feasible and effective in practice. First, we argue that EBA is best understood as a ‘soft’ yet ‘formal’ governance mechanism. This implies that the main responsibility of auditors should be to spark ethical deliberation at key intervention points throughout the software development process and ensure that there is sufficient documentation to respond to potential inquiries. Second, we frame ADMS as parts of larger socio-technical systems to demonstrate that to be feasible and effective, EBA procedures must link to intervention points that span all levels of organisational governance and all phases of the software lifecycle. The main function of EBA should therefore be to inform, formalise, assess, and interlink existing governance structures. Finally, we discuss the policy implications of our findings. To support the emergence of feasible and effective EBA procedures, policymakers and regulators could provide standardised reporting formats, facilitate knowledge exchange, provide guidance on how to resolve normative tensions, and create an independent body to oversee EBA of ADMS.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Auditing, Automated Decision-Making, Ethics, Governance, Policy, Sociotechnical systems.

Suggested Citation

Mökander, Jakob and axente, maria, Ethics-Based Auditing of Automated Decision-Making Systems: Intervention Points and Policy Implications (June 18, 2021). Mökander, J., Axente, M. Ethics-based auditing of automated decision-making systems: intervention points and policy implications. AI & Soc (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01286-x, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3958887

Jakob Mökander (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Oxford Internet Institute ( email )

Princeton University - Center for Information Technology Policy ( email )

C231A E-Quad
Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
United States

Maria Axente

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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