Building Trust in AI and Democracy Together Part 1

The Technology Industry and Politicians have a common issue. They both need increased public trust. Together, A.I. companies and politicians can build popular trust by turning A.I. upon themselves.

This first part examines how public trust has diminished, and the second will examine how A.I. could help increase public engagement with politics.

In 1995, the Nolan Report outlined the Seven Principles of Public Life that apply to anyone who works as a public officeholder. These principles are Honesty, Openness, Objectivity, Selflessness, Integrity, Accountability and Leadership. The report and review became legislation that applies to all U.K. public officeholders.

Consider those principles with current A.I. ethical guidance; you will see a remarkable similarity. The Deloitte TrustworthyAI? principles are Transparency, Responsibility, Accountability, Security, Monitoring for Reliability, and Safeguarding Privacy. Microsoft covers Accountability, Inclusiveness, Reliability, Fairness, and Transparency. Not all headline words are the same, but the pattern is similar between those principles to ensure ethical behaviour in politicians and those to ensure safe A.I. adoption.

There should be no surprise here. Since the earliest concept of democracy as a political model, principles have existed to ensure that democratic officials are accountable, transparent, and honest in their actions. Checks and balances were first introduced in Greece, where leaders could be ostracised if deemed harmful to the state, and in Rome, with legal avenues for citizens to bring grievances against officials who abused their power.

Adopting similar principles to ensure good governance of A.I. is sensible, but there is even more that both sides can learn from each other. Democracy provides significant case studies where checks and balances have failed, and the technology industry should learn from these lessons. Equally, politicians should be open to using A.I. widely to strengthen democracies and build public trust in their words and actions.

Societal trust in both politicians and A.I. is needed.

Transparency and accountability are two core principles for successful democratic government that appear in most ethical A.I. guidance. Delving deeper into both provides lessons and opportunities for the governance of each.

Historically, transparency was not always the norm. Transparency, in the context of modern governance, is not merely an abstract principle but a tangible asset that drives the efficacy and trustworthiness of a political system. It forms the bedrock for the relationship between the governed and the governing, ensuring that power remains accountable.

Transparency empowers citizens by giving them the tools and information they need to hold their leaders accountable. An informed public can more effectively participate in civic discourse, making democracy more robust and responsive. When citizens can see and understand the actions of their government, they are more likely to trust their leaders and institutions. Transparency, therefore, plays a pivotal role in building societal trust.

Accountability, much like transparency, is a cornerstone of democratic governance. It ensures that those in positions of authority are held responsible for their actions and decisions, serving as a check against potential misuse of power and providing that public interests are at the forefront of governance.

Democracies have institutionalised mechanisms to ensure leaders can be held accountable for their actions, from Magna Carta in 1215, through John Locke and Montesquieu arguing for separation of powers and legal accountability, to Lincoln’s description of democracy as the “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, to impeachment provisions in the US Constitution or vote of no confidence in parliamentary systems.

Holding those in power accountable has been a foundational principle across various civilisations. This concept has evolved, adapting to different cultures and governance systems, but its core remains unchanged: rulers should be answerable to those they govern.

Lincoln’s words are, today, more important than ever.

The collapse of public trust in politicians and public officials is a global phenomenon over the last decade. High-profile examples include Brazil’s Operation Car Wash unveiling widespread corruption within its state-controlled oil company, the impeachment trials of U.S. President Donald Trump, Malaysia’s 1MDB financial fiasco that implicated its then-Prime Minister Najib Razak, Australia’s “Sports Rorts” affair that questioned the integrity of community sports grant allocations, and the U.K.’s Downing Street party allegations against Prime Minister Boris Johnson during COVID-19 lockdowns.

These events, spread across different continents, underscore the pervasive challenges of maintaining transparency and accountability in democracies.

The second part will consider how our digital world has damaged public faith in democracy and options for a more trusting public engagement.