Transparency involves communicating appropriate information about AI systems to the right people and in a free, understandable and easily accessible format.
Transparency – throughout the entire life cycle of an AI system – encompasses three key aspects: traceability, explainability and communication. These are discussed below.
Traceability
Traceability implies the ability to follow and monitor the entire life cycle of an AI system, from the definition of its purpose, through to planning, development,use and ultimate decommissioning.
Architects, developers, decision makers and even users involved in the development and evolution of AI systems are advised to use a combination of tools and documentation to support traceability.
Explainability
Explainability is the ability for humans to understand and trust each decision, recommendation or prediction made by an AI system.
As complexity increases in AI systems, explainability declines. Consequently, initially simple AI systems become less explainable as new layers of functionality are added over time.
Since different AI system stakeholders require different types of explanations, parliaments must generate documentation aimed at decision makers and those responsible for AI governance, in addition to the documents produced by the development team.
Communication
Communication is important for transparency: humans must always know that they are interacting with an AI system. As such, any AI system that interacts with humans must identify itself unambiguously. It must be explained to users and practitioners, in a clear and accessible manner, how the system functions and what its limitations are.