Artificial Intelligence Owes You an Explanation

Scores of current and potential autonomous devices and A.I.-powered programs—including personal A.I. assistants like Alexa, self-driving cars, chatbots, and smart appliances that learn our preferences—provide little to no transparency for their decisions, which are made with no direct human control or input. Whether through user error, poor design, profit-based manufacturer decisions, or any number of factors, technology can make suspect decisions. Remember how Google Home sometimes spouts ludicrous conspiracy theories, or how Tay, Microsoft's A.I.-enabled Twitter bot, learned abhorrent racism in less than 24 hours? And as A.I. programs and autonomous devices continue to expand into decisions that have more serious consequences, including those affecting justice, health, well-being, and even life and death, the stakes become much higher than an out-of-place rap tribute to the backside.