European Union regulations on algorithmic decision-making and a "right to explanation"
This addresses legal and ethical issues in algorithmic decision-making for policymakers and industry, though it is incremental as it analyzes existing regulations rather than proposing new technical solutions.
The paper examines the impact of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, which restricts automated decision-making algorithms affecting users and establishes a 'right to explanation' for algorithmic decisions, arguing it presents challenges for industry but opportunities for computer scientists to design non-discriminatory and explainable algorithms.
We summarize the potential impact that the European Union's new General Data Protection Regulation will have on the routine use of machine learning algorithms. Slated to take effect as law across the EU in 2018, it will restrict automated individual decision-making (that is, algorithms that make decisions based on user-level predictors) which "significantly affect" users. The law will also effectively create a "right to explanation," whereby a user can ask for an explanation of an algorithmic decision that was made about them. We argue that while this law will pose large challenges for industry, it highlights opportunities for computer scientists to take the lead in designing algorithms and evaluation frameworks which avoid discrimination and enable explanation.