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adesso study on trustworthy AI: Companies would like more control over AI

Companies considering the use of artificial intelligence need to address fundamental questions: how can those responsible ensure that decisions made by an AI application are transparent? How will they control the potential risks of using AI? The answers are crucial for consumer acceptance of the technology. IT service provider adesso surveyed corporate AI experts on the subject of trustworthy AI as part of a representa-tive study. The majority of them believe that their customers are willing to take a leap of faith towards AI. At the same time, the participants in the study would like to see more control mechanisms.

Whether it’s searching for new materials, identifying fraudulent invoices or driving autonomous vehicles, the tremendous potential of AI is already being demonstrated by thousands of applications across all industries. Certain decisions based on intelligent algorithms have a direct effect on people’s lives – such as when a recommendation by a software program influences the selection of personnel or indicates that a bank should reject a loan application. In these cases, it is up to those responsible to shed light on the darkness surrounding AI decision-making. This means identifying the origin and characteristics of the training data used by an AI system, assessing how transparent and understandable the algorithm is and reviewing compliance with regulatory rules and ethical principles. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which was adopted in April 2021, also calls for transparency in the field of AI. It says that users have a right to be informed about the type of AI they are interacting with.

adesso asked the following questions on the subject of trustworthy AI to 500 decision-makers who work for companies using AI applications and are involved in system development: how important is trustworthy AI? What do you think users’ attitudes are towards AI applications? What kind of regulation is necessary in your view?

The main findings of the study are outlined below.

  • Considerable trust in AI. Most respondents have high expectations for AI applications, with 88 % believing that AI will help them make better decisions. They are equally optimistic about users’ attitudes to the technology. 61 % are convinced that consumers regard AI as fundamentally trustworthy.
  • Regulation needed. Nevertheless, 80 % of those surveyed think that AI should not be used without human control. In addition, 54 % are of the opinion that the use of AI technologies should be more strictly regulated. Such calls are backed by as many as 75 % of respondents from the banking and financial services sectors. A total of 70 % of all participants are in favour of setting up an internal AI ethics committee. There is strong support for the idea of a dedicated expert panel in the healthcare sector (87 %) and in public administration (83 %).
  • AI in the workplace. The respondents believe that companies must involve their staff in AI projects to a greater extent, as this is the only way for them to develop the necessary trust in the technology. Of those surveyed, 70 % think that preparing their employees to collaborate with AI applications will be a major challenge. Participants from the automotive sector see the situation as particularly problematic: 91 % fear that it will be difficult to convince their teams to embark on human-AI cooperation.

“Our analysis gives astonishingly clear insights into how AI regulation should develop, and in what direction, according to the experts we surveyed. The participants believe that consumers are willing to take a big leap of faith towards AI, whether this is justified or not. Nevertheless, they see the need to implement strict safety rules and monitor compliance with ethical standards,” says Benedikt Bonnmann, Head of the Data & Analytics division at adesso. “This is absolutely vital. To have confidence in the technology, people must know and understand precisely what AI is, what it does and what implications AI-based decisions have. Companies that use this technology should place the highest importance on ensuring that their AI works in a transparent and trustworthy manner.”


Benedikt Bonnmann, Head of the Data & Analytics Business Unit at adesso (Copyright: adesso)

adesso and the Cologne-based market research agency heute & morgen conducted a survey on the subject of trustworthy AI in May 2022. The group of participants comprised 500 decision-makers in Germany who work for companies with AI applications.

The study can be downloaded for free: https://ki.adesso.de/de/topics/trustworthy-ai.html


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