Explainable AI vs Interpretable AI
Artificial Intelligence

Explainable AI vs. Interpretable AI

Simon Bowes 3 July 2023
Table of contents

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral component of a wide array of sectors. From medicine, where it powers diagnostic tools and drug discovery, to finance, where it is used in risk assessment and algorithmic trading, and law, where it aids in legal research and contract analysis, AI’s impact is far-reaching. This revolutionary technology has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce human error, and uncover insights that would otherwise remain hidden.

However, as these AI models become more intricate and sophisticated, they also become more opaque. This lack of transparency, often referred to as the “black box” phenomenon, means that even the creators of these AI systems can struggle to understand the intricate web of calculations and decisions their models are making. This can create a barrier to trust and acceptance, as people are naturally cautious about relying on a system whose workings they do not understand. This issue is especially pertinent in high-stakes fields like healthcare and finance, where decisions made by AI can have significant real-world consequences.

In response to this challenge, the field of AI has seen the emergence of two important methodologies aimed at demystifying these complex models: Explainable AI (XAI) and Interpretable AI. These twin approaches aim to peel back the curtain on AI decision-making processes, making them more transparent, understandable, and ultimately, more trustworthy to humans.

In the coming sections, we will delve deeper into these two methodologies, exploring their principles, applications, and their significance in the broader context of AI technology.

Explainable AI: A Deep Dive

Explainable AI (XAI), sometimes interchangeably used with Interpretable AI, or known as Explainable Machine Learning (XML), represents a significant stride in the field of artificial intelligence. It is a method that aims to make the logic and reasoning behind AI-driven decisions and predictions comprehensible to humans. This approach aims to shed light on the complex inner workings of AI systems, contrasting starkly with the prevalent “black box” concept in machine learning.

The “black box” model is a term that denotes AI systems whose decision-making processes are so intricate and opaque that even their creators struggle to explain the reasoning behind the decisions made. This lack of transparency can be a significant drawback, particularly in fields where understanding the logic behind a decision is critical, such as healthcare, finance, or law. The black box model can lead to hesitation in adopting AI systems due to a lack of trust or understanding.

XAI seeks to address this challenge. The core objective of XAI is to aid the users of AI-powered systems in understanding the rationale behind the system’s reasoning. This improved understanding can bolster the user’s effectiveness in interacting with the system. It demystifies the complex algorithms and calculations, enabling users to grasp the logic driving the system’s decisions. This not only builds trust in the system but also enhances the user’s ability to predict and leverage the system’s capabilities.

Moreover, XAI opens up possibilities for a dynamic learning process. By illuminating the system’s reasoning, it allows users to confirm their existing knowledge, challenge assumptions, and even generate new hypotheses. This ability to learn from the AI system and refine one’s understanding is an empowering feature of XAI. It fosters a more interactive, collaborative relationship between human users and AI systems, where learning and adaptation can occur on both sides.

In essence, Explainable AI represents a paradigm shift in the way we interact with AI systems. It prioritizes transparency, understanding, and learning, moving away from the opacity of the black box model. In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the specific methods and techniques used in XAI and explore some of its practical applications.

Interpretable AI: A Closer Look

Interpretable AI is another essential concept in the landscape of Artificial Intelligence, with a focus on creating models that can be readily understood by humans. As the term suggests, interpretable AI involves the design and application of AI models in a way that their working, decision-making processes, and outputs are easily comprehensible to humans. The degree of interpretability directly impacts the trust a user can place in a model, with higher interpretability leading to enhanced user trust and acceptance.

It is noteworthy, however, that not all AI models are interpretable. Some models, such as those based on deep learning and gradient boosting, are often labeled as ‘black-box’ models. These models, due to their high complexity and multilayered calculations, are often beyond human comprehension. As a result, it becomes challenging to understand the reasoning behind each decision or prediction these models make, making them less trustworthy in contexts where transparency is crucial.

However, the interpretability of AI models is not a binary attribute, meaning that a model is not simply interpretable or not interpretable. Instead, interpretability lies on a spectrum and can depend significantly on the complexity of the particular model in question.

For instance, consider the case of a linear regression model, a simple and widely used AI model. A linear regression model that uses five features is significantly more interpretable than one using 100 features. The latter, due to its increased complexity, may become difficult for humans to fully understand and trust.

This example underscores the fact that interpretability in AI is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It is a characteristic that varies based on the complexity of the model, the number of features it uses, the type of algorithm at its core, and the transparency of its decision-making process. As we move forward in this article, we will further discuss how interpretability can be incorporated into AI models and its implications for different fields.

The Differences between Explainable AI and Interpretable AI

While both Explainable AI (XAI) and Interpretable AI aim to provide a level of understanding and transparency in AI decision-making, they approach this goal from different perspectives, offering varying degrees of insight into the workings of AI models.

Explainable AI, as the name suggests, aims to provide explanations for the decisions or predictions made by AI models. This is often achieved through the use of specific methods such as Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). These methods provide post-hoc explanations for the outputs of complex, ‘black-box’ models.

While these explainable methods can offer valuable insights into individual decisions or predictions made by an AI model, they do have their limitations. Specifically, these tools provide local explanations for specific model outputs, which means they explain why the model made a particular decision or prediction in a specific instance.

However, they do not offer a global view of the model. In other words, they do not provide a comprehensive, holistic understanding of how the model operates and makes decisions across a wide range of inputs.

On the other hand, Interpretable AI focuses on creating models that are inherently understandable, meaning their decision-making processes are transparent and readily comprehensible to humans. Unlike the post-hoc explanations provided by XAI methods, the interpretability of a model is built into its design. This means that an interpretable model can provide a more global view of its operation, offering insights into its decision-making process across all possible inputs.

However, it is crucial to note that achieving high interpretability often comes at the cost of model complexity and, potentially, predictive accuracy. In contrast, XAI methods can be applied to complex, high-accuracy models, offering at least some level of insight into their decisions.

This distinction between local, post-hoc explanations and global, inherent interpretability forms the crux of the differences between Explainable AI and Interpretable AI. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them depends on the specific requirements of the application at hand.

Final Thoughts

Grasping the nuances and differences between Explainable AI and Interpretable AI is of paramount importance for harnessing the vast capabilities of artificial intelligence. This understanding guides us in selecting the right approach based on the task at hand, ensuring that we are able to deploy AI responsibly and effectively.

By making AI more comprehensible and transparent, we not only enhance trust in AI-driven systems but also facilitate their adoption across various fields. Ultimately, a clear understanding of these two distinct but complementary approaches will be instrumental in our quest to unlock the full promise of artificial intelligence, balancing the trade-off between model complexity, performance, and human interpretability.

Online Resources and References

  1. Explainable artificial intelligence – Wikipedia
    • A comprehensive Wikipedia page that provides an overview of Explainable AI, including its principles and significance​.
  2. What is Interpretability – Interpretable AI
    • A resource by Interpretable AI that provides a detailed explanation of what interpretability means in the context of AI and how it differs from explainability​​.
  3. Google Cloud AI
    • Google Cloud AI offers a range of products and solutions for businesses and governments to build generative AI applications quickly, efficiently, and responsibly​​.