Notice, or notification, in the context of artificial intelligence (AI), refers to the principle that individuals must be informed when they are interacting with an AI system or when an AI system has made a decision affecting them. This principle ensures transparency and supports individual autonomy, enabling people to understand when and how AI is involved in their interactions or decision-making processes. Notification empowers individuals to opt out of AI use, seek human review, or take corrective action, especially in scenarios affecting their rights or well-being.
Notification is essential for fostering accountability and maintaining human control over technology. For instance, when AI systems make decisions impacting individual rights, such as credit scoring or legal judgments, individuals must be informed of the AI’s involvement and the processes to challenge or correct its decisions. Frameworks like those proposed by the European Commission emphasize informing individuals about how to contact a human for assistance. In passive AI applications, such as facial recognition systems in public spaces, notification principles advocate for visible signage to inform individuals of the system’s presence, similar to notices for CCTV surveillance. Such notifications must be accessible to ensure inclusivity for all users.
Notification also plays a critical role in interactions with AI systems, ensuring individuals are aware when they are engaging with technology rather than another human. This is particularly important as AI systems increasingly pass the Turing test in limited contexts, such as chatbots or virtual assistants. Transparency in these interactions is a prerequisite for ethical principles like accountability and informed consent. Furthermore, international guidelines, including those from the OECD and G20, emphasize the importance of notification in sensitive environments, such as workplaces, where AI use can have significant implications.
Embedding notification practices into AI deployment fosters trust, enhances transparency, and strengthens individual agency. By ensuring individuals are informed, developers and regulators can promote ethical AI integration, empowering people to navigate the evolving AI landscape with confidence and control.
Recommended Reading
Jessica Fjeld, Nele Achten, Hannah Hilligoss, Adam Nagy, and Madhulika Srikumar. "Principled Artificial Intelligence: Mapping Consensus in Ethical and Rights-Based Approaches to Principles for AI ." Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, Research Publication No. 2020-1, January 15, 2020.
Anna Jobin, Marcello Ienca, and Effy Vayena. "The Global Landscape of AI Ethics Guidelines." Nature Machine Intelligence 1 (2019): 389–399.
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