Cultivating a data-driven culture with human-led AI: Balancing algorithmic power and human intuition in the age of big data

Abstract

The geometric increase in the volume of data creation has taken data-driven decision making from a competitive advantage to an operation essential. Artificial-Intelligence (AI) systems, especially, those, based on Machine-Learning (ML) and Natural-Language-Processing (NLP) methods, provide organizations with an opportunity to analyze and process petabyte-scale data streams in nearly real time. However, companies that rely solely on algorithmic outputs expose themselves to ethical violations, undisclosed discrimination bias and fragile black box decision pathways. The discussion in this paper presents a Human-Led AI (HLAI) model which considers the need for human intervention, ethical decision-making and situational awareness that augments the computational advantages of AI. On this premise, recent studies, industry surveys and regulatory advice that provide an organizational blueprint are discussed to develop a culture of data-driven organization based on HLAI principles. Examples covering healthcare applications and modelling risks in financial services are delineated. Furthermore, avenues that are crucial to foster a symbiosis of human and machine decision system are discussed.