Comparing Socio-technical Design Principles with Guidelines for Human-Centered AI

Human-centered AI (HCAI) refers to guidelines or principles that aim on ethically oriented design of systems. We compare HCAI-guidelines with principles of socio-technical systems that emerged in the context of conventional information technology. The comparison leads to a revision of socio-technical heuristics by including aspects of AI-usage. The comparison reveals that continuous evolution is a basic characteristic of socio-technical systems, and that human oversight or interventions and the subsequent appropriation of AI-systems lead to continuous adaptation and re-design of the systems, if autonomy is collaboratively exercised. From a socio-technical point of view, the crucial requirement of transparency has not only to be fulfilled with technical features, but also by contributions of the whole system including human actors. It will be promising for using AI, if not only technical features, but organizational and social practices are socio-technically designed in a way that compensates shortcomings of AI.