Attributing Responsibility in AI-Induced Incidents: A Computational Reflective Equilibrium Framework for Accountability
This addresses the problem of accountability for stakeholders in AI systems, particularly in complex, unregulated scenarios, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing reflective equilibrium concepts.
The paper tackles the challenge of attributing responsibility in AI-induced incidents by proposing a Computational Reflective Equilibrium (CRE) framework, which provides a structured, traceable, and adaptive approach to distribute responsibility among stakeholders, as demonstrated in a medical decision-support system case study.
The pervasive integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced complex challenges in the responsibility and accountability in the event of incidents involving AI-enabled systems. The interconnectivity of these systems, ethical concerns of AI-induced incidents, coupled with uncertainties in AI technology and the absence of corresponding regulations, have made traditional responsibility attribution challenging. To this end, this work proposes a Computational Reflective Equilibrium (CRE) approach to establish a coherent and ethically acceptable responsibility attribution framework for all stakeholders. The computational approach provides a structured analysis that overcomes the limitations of conceptual approaches in dealing with dynamic and multifaceted scenarios, showcasing the framework's traceability, coherence, and adaptivity properties in the responsibility attribution process. We examine the pivotal role of the initial activation level associated with claims in equilibrium computation. Using an AI-assisted medical decision-support system as a case study, we illustrate how different initializations lead to diverse responsibility distributions. The framework offers valuable insights into accountability in AI-induced incidents, facilitating the development of a sustainable and resilient system through continuous monitoring, revision, and reflection.