Trustworthy AI

Introduction

The most significant factor that will impact our future with artificial intelligence is trust.

Our human society depends on trust – trust in one another, in our economic and governmental systems, and in the products and services we purchase and use. Without trust, we are plagued with uncertainty, suspicion, reticence, and even fear. Trust can be fragile, and once broken, nearly impossible to repair. And all the while, trust receives only passing notice as a vital part of our lives. We take it for granted and presume it is present, until it isn't.

This vital and uniquely human need to trust is today colliding with the powerful forces of technology innovation. For decades, AI has existed primarily in research labs, developed for novel experiments that incrementally move the field forward. This has changed. Advancing at a near exponential clip, AI tools are being developed and deployed in huge numbers. These technologies touch nearly every part of our connected lives.

We are commonly aware of the AI behind self‐driving cars and chatbots that mimic human speech, but AI is much more pervasive. It fuels machine automation and predictive analysis across a range of functions. It powers back office operations and customer‐facing communication. It leads to new products and services, new business models, and truly new ways of working and living. In short, the age of AI has arrived, and every citizen and organization must contend with what that means for our trust in the tools ...