‘Many Ways to Explain AI’

Very few AI-enabled products explain how and why they use this technology and yet it is increasingly pervasive and powerful. From our research we’ve seen users suggest that they would like to know more about AI in a system, but when shown interfaces to explain recommendations they were nonplussed. We also see millions of users frequently using AI-powered apps without a second thought to understanding how they work. But as the recent AI Council Roadmap says “It is about knowing enough to be a conscious and confident user of AI-related products; to know what questions to ask, what risks to look out for, what ethical and societal implications might arise, and what kinds of opportunities AI might provide“. So how can we make our AI-powered services more understandable? Can we encourage people to care about understanding it? And how can this benefit individuals and society?