How State Leaders Can Put People First in AI Decision-Making

Source Domain: fas.org

How State Leaders Can Put People First in AI Decision-Making is a framework to ask and answer the right foundational questions about artificial intelligence (AI) from the beginning. The public wants the government to take action to ensure the power of AI technology is used for good. In the current political climate, the work of state leaders is critical. The recommendations in this memo are focused on helping state leaders across the country ground decision-making about AI use in fairness, accountability, evidence-based inquiry, and inclusive governance so that AI can work for people.

Many state agencies have already deployed or are considering using AI in consequential decisions related to healthcare, housing, education, policing, finance, and other highly sensitive areas. While a few states have taken steps to implement decision-making mechanisms for certain AI systems, too many leaders are simply accepting narratives about AI’s purported public benefit at face value – jumping to the “how” of AI implementation before thoroughly vetting potential systems and deciding whether they are appropriate to use at all.

State officials may be eager, and even feel pressure, to tap into the potential benefits of AI in the hopes of better serving their constituents. But the personal, political, and operational risks of AI use should not be underestimated. People across the political spectrum are deeply concerned about the impact of AI on their lives and these concerns are well-founded. There have already been numerous examples where the failure to center people in AI decision-making and use has resulted in government systems that range from inefficient and wasteful to disruptive and downright dangerous, causing significant harm to, and backlash from, community members.

For AI’s potential benefits to be realized, state leaders need to implement consistent, inclusive people-first AI decision-making structures. Crucially,…

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