<s>
In	O
the	O
regulation	O
of	O
algorithms	O
,	O
particularly	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
and	O
its	O
subfield	O
of	O
machine	O
learning	O
,	O
a	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
(	O
or	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
an	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
)	O
is	O
a	O
right	O
to	O
be	O
given	O
an	O
explanation	O
for	O
an	O
output	O
of	O
the	O
algorithm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
such	O
legal	O
rights	O
already	O
exist	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
scope	O
of	O
a	O
general	O
"	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
"	O
is	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
ongoing	O
debate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
have	O
been	O
arguments	O
made	O
that	O
a	O
"	O
social	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
"	O
is	O
a	O
crucial	O
foundation	O
for	O
an	O
information	O
society	O
,	O
particularly	O
as	O
the	O
institutions	O
of	O
that	O
society	O
will	O
need	O
to	O
use	O
digital	O
technologies	O
,	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
,	O
machine	O
learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
that	O
the	O
related	O
automated	B-General_Concept
decision	I-General_Concept
making	I-General_Concept
systems	O
that	O
use	O
explainability	O
would	O
be	O
more	O
trustworthy	O
and	O
transparent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
European	O
Union	O
General	O
Data	O
Protection	O
Regulation	O
(	O
enacted	O
2016	O
,	O
taking	O
effect	O
2018	O
)	O
extends	O
the	O
automated	B-General_Concept
decision-making	I-General_Concept
rights	O
in	O
the	O
1995	O
Data	O
Protection	O
Directive	O
to	O
provide	O
a	O
legally	O
disputed	O
form	O
of	O
a	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
an	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
,	O
stated	O
as	O
such	O
in	O
:	O
"	O
[	O
the	O
data	O
subject	O
should	O
have ]	O
the	O
right	O
...	O
to	O
obtain	O
an	O
explanation	O
of	O
the	O
decision	O
reached	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
extent	O
to	O
which	O
the	O
regulations	O
themselves	O
provide	O
a	O
"	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
"	O
is	O
heavily	O
debated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
significant	O
legal	O
issues	O
with	O
the	O
right	O
as	O
found	O
in	O
Article	O
22	O
—	O
as	O
recitals	O
are	O
not	O
binding	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
an	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
is	O
not	O
mentioned	O
in	O
the	O
binding	O
articles	O
of	O
the	O
text	O
,	O
having	O
been	O
removed	O
during	O
the	O
legislative	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
significant	O
restrictions	O
on	O
the	O
types	O
of	O
automated	B-General_Concept
decisions	I-General_Concept
that	O
are	O
covered	O
—	O
which	O
must	O
be	O
both	O
"	O
solely	O
"	O
based	O
on	O
automated	O
processing	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
legal	O
or	O
similarly	O
significant	O
effects	O
—	O
which	O
significantly	O
limits	O
the	O
range	O
of	O
automated	O
systems	O
and	O
decisions	O
to	O
which	O
the	O
right	O
would	O
apply	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
restates	O
a	O
similar	O
provision	O
from	O
the	O
1995	O
Data	O
Protection	O
Directive	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
data	O
subject	O
access	O
to	O
"	O
meaningful	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
logic	O
involved	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
significant	O
,	O
solely	O
automated	B-General_Concept
decision-making	I-General_Concept
,	O
found	O
in	O
Article	O
22	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Indeed	O
,	O
the	O
GDPR	O
automated	B-General_Concept
decision-making	I-General_Concept
rights	O
in	O
the	O
European	O
Union	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
places	O
a	O
"	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
an	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
"	O
has	O
been	O
sought	O
within	O
,	O
find	O
their	O
origins	O
in	O
French	O
law	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1970s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
argue	O
that	O
a	O
"	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
"	O
is	O
at	O
best	O
unnecessary	O
,	O
at	O
worst	O
harmful	O
,	O
and	O
threatens	O
to	O
stifle	O
innovation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Why	O
a	O
'	O
Right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
an	I-Algorithm
Explanation	I-Algorithm
 '	O
Is	O
Probably	O
Not	O
the	O
Remedy	O
You	O
Are	O
Looking	O
For	O
”	O
Lilian	O
Edwards	O
and	O
Michael	O
Veale	O
argue	O
that	O
a	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
is	O
not	O
the	O
solution	O
to	O
harms	O
caused	O
to	O
stakeholders	O
by	O
algorithmic	O
decisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
field	O
of	O
Explainable	O
AI	B-Application
seeks	O
to	O
provide	O
better	O
explanations	O
from	O
existing	O
algorithms	O
,	O
and	O
algorithms	O
that	O
are	O
more	O
easily	O
explainable	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
young	O
and	O
active	O
field	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edwards	O
and	O
Veale	O
see	O
the	O
right	B-Algorithm
to	I-Algorithm
explanation	I-Algorithm
as	O
providing	O
some	O
grounds	O
for	O
explanations	O
about	O
specific	O
decisions	O
.	O
</s>
