Algorithm Delegation and Responsibility: Shifting Blame to the Programmer?

Mathieu Chevrier and Vincent Teixeira

No 2024-04, GREDEG Working Papers from Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France

Abstract: In a lab experiment, we investigate whether individuals delegate allocation decisions to an intermediary in order to shift blame. The intermediary can be a human, a rule-based algorithm (RA), or an artificial intelligence algorithm (AI), depending on the treatment condition. Behind these algorithms, a programmer fully controls the decisions of the RA and partially controls the decisions of the AI. We find that participants delegate regardless of the type of intermediary (human, RA, or AI). While human intermediaries and RA programmers are perceived as more responsible for inegalitarian decisions, the delegator is perceived as less responsible. AI programmers and the delegator are not perceived as responsible for the inegalitarian allocations made by the AI. This allows AI programmers to exploit the moral wiggle room and select inegalitarian allocations more frequently.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Delegation; Responsibility; Moral Wiggle Room; Punishment; Laboratory Experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C92 D63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 46 pages
Date: 2024-03, Revised 2024-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ain, nep-cbe and nep-exp
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gre:wpaper:2024-04

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