Accenture Federal Services Report: Agencies Need to Build Workforce Trust in AI Systems

Accenture’s federal services arm has released a report recommending that federal agencies incorporate a human-centered approach to artificial intelligence system design and encourage their workforce to have a “high degree of trust” in autonomous platforms.

The report, titled “Responsible AI: A Framework for Building Trust in Your AI Solutions,” recommends the implementation of “explainable AI,” which covers systems that can provide a rationale for decisions and enable humans to assess future machine behavior.

It also suggests that agencies conduct continuous monitoring of autonomous systems and include users’ privacy, security and trust concerns in the AI platform’s design.

According to the report, agencies have to teach their personnel how to train, augment and interact with these AI systems in order to build workforce trust.

“Organizations that fail to take these steps will find many of the benefits of AI elusive and may encounter a talent crunch within the next few years,” it noted.

The report was authored by Accenture's Dominic Delmolino, managing director and chief technology officer, and Mimi Whitehouse, manager of the company's AI strategic growth initiative.