Toward Algorithmic Accountability in Public Services

In 2018, Toi Āria partnered with AUT and two United States universities to undertake workshops in the United States to learn about the concerns of affected communities in the context of child welfare services. The workshops involved 83 study participants including families involved in the child welfare system, employees of child welfare agencies, and service providers. The findings, set out in this article, indicate that general distrust in the existing system contributes significantly to low comfort in algorithmic decision-making, and identifies strategies for improving comfort through greater transparency and improved communication.