Cities Take the Lead in Setting Rules Around How AI Is Used
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Explaining the algorithms: Amsterdam and Helsinki
One of the biggest complaints against AI is that it makes decisions that can’t be explained, which can lead to complaints about arbitrary or even biased results.
To let their citizens know more about the technology already in use in their cities, Amsterdam and Helsinki collaborated on websites that document how each city government uses algorithms to deliver services. The registry includes information on the data sets used to train an algorithm, a description of how an algorithm is used, how public servants use the results, the human oversight involved and how the city checks the technology for problems like bias.
Amsterdam has six algorithms fully explained—with a goal of 50 to 100—on the registry website, including how the city’s automated parking-control and trash-complaint reports work. Helsinki, which is only focusing on the city’s most advanced algorithms, also has six listed on its site, with another 10 to 20 left to put up.
“We needed to assess the risk ourselves,” says Linda van de Fliert, an adviser at Amsterdam’s Chief Technology Office. “And we wanted to show the world that it is possible to be transparent.”
The registries don’t give citizens personalized information explaining their individual bills or fees. But they provide citizens with a way to give feedback on algorithms, and the name, city department and contact information of the person responsible for the deployment of a particular algorithm. So far, at least one Amsterdam man who was displeased about getting an automated text about an overdue electricity bill used the registry to find out why the government contacted him.
Ms. van de Fliert has lost count of how many cities have reached out to learn more about the registry, and says she hopes that others pick up the project.
“It doesn’t make sense to do this just for Amsterdam and Helsinki,” Ms. van de Fliert says. “We all have the same needs.”
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See the full story here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cities-take-lead-setting-rules-around-how-ai-is-used-11649448031
