AI, accountability and the economics of evidence

Benjamin Guin

Most discussion of AI in organisations focuses on productivity: as analysis becomes cheaper, decision-making should improve. This post argues that an important consequence lies elsewhere. Where the relevant information is accessible, a wider range of people can produce professionally presented analysis and submit it to decision-makers. Responsibility for decisions, however, remains concentrated and changes more slowly. Analysis may therefore proliferate faster than those accountable for decisions can assess it. The comparative advantage of institutions may increasingly lie in deciding what evidence to trust and act on, rather than in producing more analysis. This post explores that shift in settings where many people can generate evidence but few remain accountable for decisions, such as regulators assessing consultation responses or other forms of public input.

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