Evaluation for Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects (ELSA Scan) for responsible AI development

Overview

What are the ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) of AI-driven technology in agri-food? Mitigation of potential risks and finding opportunities are easier by identifying ELSA aspects in early development stages, when the technology is still in the making. Examples of ELSA aspects are autonomy, transparency, and bias, but also data privacy and other legal aspects. How does your AI technology deal with ELSA aspects? A combined survey and interview help AI developers to identify opportunities and issues with ELSA in the agri-food context from the perspective of end users and more broadly, for society. For example, to better align with the sustainability objectives of the AI-driven technology. The outcomes of the ELSA scan are a list of identified key ELSA aspects and high-level recommendations to further improve the AI technology.

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FAQ

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Discover more about our service, including how it can benefit you, the delivery process, and the options for customisation tailored to your specific needs!

When working on AI technology from day to day, considering the social context of stakeholders involved, but mostly the end user, may be hard to fit in. While considering ELSA aspects early on in the development cycle may provide AI developers with valuable insights to take into account without losing investment and time. For example, being interviewed about ELSA aspects may identify an issue considering legal requirements for the required data or actions to take to make sure the end-user work environment is safe. Also, the AI tech may have a positive, neutral, or negative influence on society (labour, animal welfare), which could support the value proposition.

After an intake meeting with one of our ELSA experts, we decide which person(s) are best to interview and schedule a 1.5-hour interview. The interview will take place online if not possible at the AI development location or during a physical meeting if distance and travel costs allow (a long-distance physical meeting may be organised at additional travel costs). The interview will take place with an AI developer or product owner. During the interview, 10 questions will be asked to support the identification of ELSA aspects. There are no right or wrong answers, and it’s similar to a self-assessment with the support of one of our ELSA experts. Before the interview can take place, you will receive a survey with 17 questions and a consent form to sign (web forms). Within 2-4 weeks you will receive a 2-3 page PDF document with a summary of identified key ELSA aspects, general recommendations, and additional findings on the ELSA scan.

It is possible to schedule more than 1 ELSA scan, for example, for more than 1 role. This could provide insights into any differences or discrepancies between how ELSA are considered within the AI development company/organisation. For example, a business role would perhaps consider different ELSA aspects than the AI developer. Extra ELSA Scan interviews also require the survey and consent form to be filled in at an additional cost.

Location

At user's premises