Why algorithmic transparency is essential in the public sector

A blog article published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) addresses the growing public concern about government use at various levels of automated decision-making systems and algorithms. The article questions the extent to which taxpayers and citizens even understand the development and application of these algorithms. Furthermore, it highlights the ambiguity of the term "algorithmic transparency", which lacks a universally agreed-upon definition, and questions whether the term refers to a principle of availability, a standard level of accessibility, an obligation for disclosure, or a right to access information. With automated decision-making on the rise, the importance of algorithmic transparency in the public sector is only increasing. The article examines various real-world case studies highlighting algorithmic transparency's opportunities and challenges.