Trust is a misguided concept in the realm of artificial intelligence

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By Emmanuel R. Goffi | Jul 30, 2024

Image courtesy of and under license from Shutterstock.com

The word ‘trust’ is fine when used to describe people, but terms like ‘trustworthy AI’ are also quite common - despite making little sense conceptually and also being misleading, argues Emmanuel R. Goffi, Professor of Ethics and Head of the Ethics, Management, and Personal and Professional Project Unit at ISEP - Paris Institute of Digital Technology.

PARIS - In today's world, the term ‘trust’ has become ubiquitous and is often employed to highlight the perceived lack of trust among citizens towards their political leaders and institutions. This notion of trust has also permeated the digital sphere, giving rise to the questionable concept of ‘trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI).’

To fully grasp this concept, it is essential to delve into its historical context. The idea of trustworthy AI first emerged in 2018 when the European Commission, in two communications, called for the establishment of "an environment of trust and accountability around the development and use of AI."¹ This trust, they argued, "is necessary for societies to accept and use AI."²

The High-Level Expert Group on AI was subsequently established, and in 2019 it published a report titled Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI. This report asserted that trust is the "bedrock of societies" and that this trust must be at the heart of AI to help Europe reap "the potentially vast social and economic benefits they can bring."³

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