Governance, Law & Compliance
Automated decision-making
ADM
Using software to make or materially influence decisions with limited human involvement.
Example
Software automatically approves or rejects an application without routine human judgment.
Why it matters
It helps organizations handle large volumes of decisions more quickly and consistently.
You'll hear it
“Was this decided automatically, or did someone review my case?”
Can you control it?
Sometimes
Sometimes. An organization can define or influence automated decision-making through its policies, processes, contracts, and product choices. Individual users may have fewer controls.
Common questions
- Does automated mean fair?
- No. A system can consistently repeat an unfair rule or a problem in its data.
- Can human involvement be only nominal?
- Yes. A person approving everything without real consideration may add little meaningful review.
- Do all automated decisions face the same rules?
- No. The context, consequences and applicable law can affect the requirements.