Reasoning about algorithmic opacity

A recurring problem discussed in explainable AI is the so-called epistemic opacity problem, that is, a problem about the epistemic accessibility and reliability of algorithms. In the present work, we provide an original epistemological characterization of the opacity of algorithms based on a tripartite analysis of their components. Against this background, we introduce a formal framework by modifying the neighborhood semantics for evidence logic introduced in [1]. This setting allows one to reason about an agent’s epistemic attitudes toward an algorithm and investigate what are the conditions that should be met to achieve epistemic transparency.