A Capability Approach to Ethics-Based Auditing in Medical AI

Recently, it has been proposed to address the ethical challenges posed by AI tools by taking inspiration from auditing processes. This approach has been called ethics-based auditing (EBA), and it is based on an underlying conception of ethics that significantly draws from the recent principled turn of AI ethics, which is notoriously fraught with difficulties. In this project, we propose an alternative framework for EBA that is not based on AI principlism. In particular, we aim at conceptualizing EBA on the basis of the capability approach. Rather than checking for compliance to vague principles, EBAs should investigate the impact of AI tools to capabilities. We formulate a preliminary characterization of capability-based EBA in medical AI. Deliverables will consist of a manuscript delineating the framework, a prototype AI tool that can be used for both internal and external auditing, and a conference paper.