Trust Mark

Summary: A trust mark is a seal that indicates that an AI system has been endorsed as being compliant with RAI standards.

Type of pattern: Governance pattern

Type of objective: Trust

Target users: RAI governors

Impacted stakeholders: AI technology producers and procurers, AI solution producers and procurers, RAI tool producers and procurers

Lifecycle stages: All stages

Relevant AI ethics principles: Human, societal and environmental wellbeing, human-centered values, fairness, privacy protection and security, reliability and safety, transparency and explainability, contestability, accountability

Mapping to AI regulations/standards: EU AI Act.

Context: As AI technology has been rapidly evolving, it has been incorporated into a wide range of software systems across various domains, such as entertainment and home automation. However, the autonomous and unpredicted nature of AI systems has raised public attention and concerns. Many consumers may not have professional knowledge about AI and may find it difficult to understand the sophisticated algorithms that power the systems. This lack of understanding makes it challenging for consumers to make decisions about the use of AI products and services.

Problem: How can consumers confidently trust the AI systems they use without having professional knowledge about AI?

Solution: One way to improve public confidence in AI and address ethical concerns is to use a trust mark, a visible seal of endorsement that signifies that an AI system meets certain RAI standards. Trust marks can be easily understood by all consumers and can provide assurance that an AI system has been designed and developed in a responsible manner. To ensure that trust marks make sense, it is important to establish agreed-upon standards for AI development and to have these standards reviewed by independent auditors. To be effective, the trust mark should be designed in a way that is easily understood by all consumers, such as through a label or visual representation indicating fulfillment with the trust mark requirements.

Benefits:

  • Public confidence: By providing a visible symbol of endorsement, trust mark helps improve consumers confidence in AI systems and address ethical concerns.
  • Branding: Trust marks can be particularly valuable for small AI companies that may not be well-known in the market.
  • Understandability: Trust marks are designed to be easily understandable by all consumers, including those with limited knowledge about AI.

Drawbacks:

  • Lack of awareness: Consumers may not be aware of trust marks or how to identify them when assessing an AI system.
  • Lack of trust: Some consumers may not trust that the AI systems with trust marks are necessarily more responsible than those without one.

Related patterns:

  • RAI certification: Trust mark can be a simplified form (e.g. stamp) of RAI certification.

Known uses: