Algorithmic Impact Assessment
A systematic evaluation of how an AI system may affect individuals and communities, typically required before deploying AI in high-stakes decisions like hiring, lending, or law enforcement.
The EU AI Act mandates impact assessments for high-risk AI systems, requiring documentation of intended purpose, potential risks, bias testing results, and mitigation measures. Canada's federal government has required algorithmic impact assessments since 2019. The Colorado AI Act requires deployers of high-risk AI to complete annual impact assessments. These assessments typically evaluate accuracy across demographic groups, potential for discriminatory outcomes, data privacy implications, and accessibility considerations. The practice is modeled on environmental impact assessments and data protection impact assessments under GDPR.
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Related Terms
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
A hypothetical form of AI that can understand, learn, and apply knowledge across any intellectual task at or above human level, rather than being specialized for specific tasks.
AI Alignment
The research field focused on ensuring AI systems behave in accordance with human values and intentions, particularly as systems become more capable.
AI Safety
The interdisciplinary field focused on preventing AI systems from causing harm, encompassing alignment, robustness, interpretability, and governance of AI technologies.
Deepfake
AI-generated synthetic media — images, video, or audio — that realistically depict events or statements that never occurred, created using deep learning techniques.
EU AI Act
The European Union's comprehensive AI regulation, which entered into force on August 1, 2024, classifying AI systems by risk level and imposing requirements from transparency disclosures to outright bans.
Hallucination
When an AI model generates plausible-sounding but factually incorrect or fabricated information, presenting it with the same confidence as accurate responses.
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