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Short abstract:

As public management is increasingly aware of ethical issues in data and AI practices, they use a number of processes and tools to mitigate possible harms and to constitute accountability. Drawing from empirical field research in Dutch government organisations, this paper evaluates such practices

Long abstract:

The notorious child-benefit scandal has made Dutch government organisations more sensitive to ethical issues in AI and data practices. This manifests on national, regional and local level in critical reports, the creation of positions for ethics officers, the establishment of citizen and expert panels on ethics, and the development and use of tools for evaluating AI and data projects. One of these tools is the Fundamental Rights & Algorithms Impact Assessment (FRAIA), another is the evaluation framework for algorithms issued by the national audit office. In addition, the national government has launched a public register for government algorithms, in the hope it would constitute more transparency. This paper will revisit how government organisations make use of impact assessments, public registers, and evaluation frameworks and to what extend these practices facilitate responsible AI and data practices, and accountability. Using FRAIA, the authors of this paper had the opportunity to review a number of government algorithms together with the organisations intending to use or already using these algorithms. This provided information about algorithms in use or in the process of procurement and also to the practices of mitigating risks, the awareness to ethical and legal issues, and the capacities to carry out such impact assessments. Looking at the algorithm register then gave insights into practices of documentation and the flawed promise of transparency. In conclusion, this paper discusses how STS researcher can study these phenomena up close, and effectively intervene and help to advance good governance for data & AI.