Stanford HAI 2019 Fall Conference - AI in Government

TL;DR

Citizen support for algorithmic government is hindered by various factors including varying justifications for the use of algorithms, a preference for the status quo, skepticism about algorithmic decision-making, and concerns about the effects of automation and AI on job security and social inequality.

Transcript

• All right, welcome. I'm Dan Ho. I'm a professor at the law school here also with affiliations with the political science department and CPR and with HAI. And we heard this morning from a really interesting discussion between Eric Schmidt and Mori Chisaki about regulating big tech. And I think this panel builds on that discussion really nicely. Th... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 Citizen support for algorithmic government is not universal and varies depending on the justifications provided for their use.
• ❓ Citizens tend to prefer the status quo over algorithmic innovations, even when the innovations offer potential improvements.
• ⚾ Trust in algorithms is not solely based on their performance, and citizens evaluate algorithms differently from humans.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the main obstacles to citizen support for algorithmic government?

The four main obstacles are varying justifications for the use of algorithms, a preference for the status quo, skepticism about algorithmic decision-making, and concerns about the effects of automation and AI on job security and social inequality.

Q: How do citizens evaluate algorithms compared to humans?

Citizens tend to evaluate algorithms negatively, even when they agree with the decisions made by algorithms. Trust in algorithms is not dependent on their performance, and the standards for judging algorithmic performance are different from those used to judge human performance.

Q: Are there any positive findings or support for algorithmic government?

Some citizens do support algorithmic government for specific reasons, but overall support varies depending on the specific justifications given for the use of algorithms.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Citizen support for algorithmic government varies depending on the justifications given for their use, with no single set of justifications receiving universal support.

• Citizens tend to prefer the status quo over algorithmic innovations, even when the innovations offer potential improvements.

• Trust in algorithms is not dependent on their performance, and citizens evaluate algorithms differently from humans.

• Opposition to algorithmic government is correlated with concerns about job loss, increased inequality, and hampered social mobility due to automation and AI.