An introduction to AI assurance

In this chapter, we present a brief introduction about the concept, dimensions, and challenges of AI assurance. The goal is to lay the path for the concepts presented in this book. AI is often assessed by its ability to consistently deliver accurate predictions of behavior in a system. A critical, often overlooked, aspect of developing AI algorithms is that performance is a function of the task the algorithm is assigned, the domain over which the algorithm is intended to operate, and changes to these elements in time. These parameters and their constituent parts form the basis which makes assuring AI a challenge. Algorithms need to be characterized by understanding the factors that contribute to stable performance across an operational environment (e.g., no dramatic perturbation by small changes and/or no effects measurable over time). This chapter presents a high-level introduction to AI Assurance and points readers to related areas of interest in the book.