AI And Automated Decisions: GDPR And The Evolving Decision-Making Process

AI and Automated Decision-Making

Broadly speaking, artificial intelligence (AI) is the term given to the ability of computer software to simulate human cognition, allowing machine systems to learn, reason, and interact. Over time, algorithmic software can be “trained” to make connections – from random inputs to revealing outputs – which allow it to “learn”, and “make” decisions.

This decision-making process, when conducted without any human involvement, is known as automated decision making (ADM). Common examples of ADM are:

• An autonomous vehicle stopping so it doesn’t drive through a red light

• A sales company using an algorithm to monitor someone’s online behaviour to build a user profile they can use to send specifically targeted advertisements