AI for decision support: What are possible futures, social impacts, regulatory options, ethical conundrums and agency constellations?

Abstract

Although artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems have been around for some time, they have only recently gained in importance as they are now actually being used and are no longer just the subject of research. AI to support decision-making is thus affecting ever larger parts of society, creating technical, but above all ethical, legal, and societal challenges, as decisions can now be made by machines that were previously the responsibility of humans. This introduction provides an overview of attempts to regulate AI and addresses key challenges that arise when integrating AI systems into human decision-making. The Special topic brings together research articles that present societal challenges, ethical issues, stakeholders, and possible futures of AI use for decision support in healthcare, the legal system, and border control.