Artificial intelligence algorithms are often seen as ‘black boxes’ whose rules remain inaccessible. We must therefore create a new scientific discipline to understand the behaviour of the machines that rely on them, as we did for the study of animal behaviour. This is the perspective of Jean-François Bonnefon, who along with 22 other scientists just signed an editorial in the journal Nature.
…
Understanding the behaviour of intelligent machines is a broader objective than understanding how they are programmed. Sometimes a machine’s programming is not accessible, for example when its code is a trade secret. In this case, it is important to understand a machine from the outside, by observing its actions and measuring their consequences. Other times, it is not possible to completely predict a machine’s behaviour based on its code, because this behaviour will change in a complex manner when the machine adapts to its environment through a learning process, guided but ultimately opaque. In this case, we need to continually observe this behaviour, and simulate its potential evolution.
…
A new scientific discipline dedicated to machine behaviour is needed to meet these challenges, just as we created the scientific discipline of animal behaviour.
Read full, original post: Is a Robot just another “Animal”?
