A Deployment Model to Extend Ethically Aligned AI Implementation Method ECCOLA

Abstract

There is a struggle in Artificial intelligence (AI) ethics to gain ground in actionable methods and models to be utilized by practitioners while developing and implementing ethically sound AI systems. AI ethics is a vague concept without a consensus of definition or theoretical grounding and bearing little connection to practice. Practice involving primarily technical tasks like software development is not aptly equipped to process and decide upon ethical considerations. Efforts to create tools and guidelines to help people working with AI development have been concentrating almost solely on the technical aspects of AI. A few exceptions do apply, such as the ECCOLA method for creating ethically aligned AI -systems. ECCOLA has proven results in terms of increased ethical considerations in AI systems development. Yet, it is a novel innovation, and room for development still exists. This study aims to extend ECCOLA with a deployment model to drive the adoption of ECCOLA, as any method, no matter how good, is of no value without adoption and use. The model includes simple metrics to facilitate the communication of ethical gaps or outcomes of ethical AI development. It offers the opportunity to assess any AI system at any given lifecycle phase, e.g., opening possibilities like analyzing the ethicality of an AI system under acquisition.