A/78/310
• Traceability: The data sets and the processes that yield the [artificial
intelligence] system’s decision, including those of data gathering and data
labelling as well as the algorithms used, should be documented to the best
possible standard to allow for traceability and an increase in transparency. This
also applies to the decisions made by the [artificial intelligence] system. This
enables identification of the reasons why an [artificial intelligence] -decision
was erroneous which, in turn, could help prevent future mistakes. Traceability
facilitates auditability as well as explainability.
• Explainability: Explainability concerns the ability to explain both the technical
processes of an [artificial intelligence] system and the related human decisions
(e.g. application areas of a system). Technical explainability requires that the
decisions made by an [artificial intelligence] system can be understood and
traced by human beings. Moreover, trade-offs might have to be made between
enhancing a system’s explainability (which may reduce its accuracy) or
increasing its accuracy (at the cost of explainability). Whenever an [artificial
intelligence] system has a significant impact on people’s lives, it should be
possible to demand a suitable explanation of the [artificial intelligence] system’s
decision-making process. Such explanation should be timely and adapted to the
expertise of the stakeholder concerned (e.g. layperson, regulator or researcher).
In addition, explanations of the degree to which an [artificial intelligence]
system influences and shapes the organisational decision-making process,
design choices of the system, and the rationale for deploying it, should be
available (hence ensuring business model transparency).
• Communication. [Artificial intelligence] systems should not represent
themselves as humans to users; humans have the right to be informed that they
are interacting with an [artificial intelligence] system. This entails that [artificial
intelligence] systems must be identifiable as such. In addition, the option to
decide against this interaction in favour of human interaction should be provided
where needed to ensure compliance with fundamental rights. Beyond this, the
[artificial intelligence] system’s capabilities and limitations should be
communicated to [artificial intelligence] practitioners or end -users in a manner
appropriate to the use case at hand. This could encompass communication of the
[artificial intelligence] system’s level of accuracy, as well as its limitations. 30
33. The European Data Protection Board and the European Data Protection
Supervisor have issued a joint opinion in which they stated that:
Data subjects should always be informed when their data is used for [artificial
intelligence] training and/or prediction, of the legal basis for such processing,
general explanation of the logic (procedure) and scop e of the [artificial
intelligence] system. In that regard, the individuals’ right of restriction of
processing (article 18 GDPR and article 20 EUDPR as well as of
deletion/erasure of data (article 16 GDPR and article 19 EUDPR should always
be guaranteed in those cases. Furthermore, the controller should have the
explicit obligation to inform the data subject of the applicable periods for
objection, restriction, deletion of data, etc. The [artificial intelligence] system
must be able to meet all data protection requirements through adequate technical
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30
23-15851
Ibid.
11/20