How do I avoid black-box algorithms and vendor lock-in when buying AI?

Answered

Make explainability and interpretability design criteria so your team (and future suppliers) can understand results. That reduces lock-in by making it easier to continue or rebuild with another supplier; also build exit and portability into requirements from the start.

From the guidance

Primary (how) Guidelines for AI procurement

Encourage explainability and interpretability of algorithms and make this one of your design criteria. This means using methods and techniques that allow the results to be understood by your team. Highly ‘explainable’ outputs from your AI system will be able to be interpreted by your team, and by other suppliers. This will also make it more likely for you to be able to engage with other suppliers to continue or build upon your AI system in the future, limiting the risk of vendor lock-in.

Section: 8. Avoid Black Box algorithms and vendor lock in

Read this in Guidelines for AI procurement (opens in new tab)

Secondary (normative) AI Playbook for the UK Government

consider strategies to avoid vendor lock-in

Section: Specifying your requirements

Read this in AI Playbook for the UK Government (opens in new tab)

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