AI GLOSSARY

First Principles Transparency

The term “first principles transparency” is connected to Aristotle through the concept of first principles in philosophy. In his work, Aristotle emphasised that first principles are the most fundamental assumptions or starting points in any line of reasoning or scientific inquiry. They serve as the basic building blocks from which all further knowledge or understanding is derived.

In the context of AI, first principles transparency draws on this Aristotelian idea by emphasising that AI systems should be understandable from their foundational components. This means that the logic, rules, or basic elements underlying the AI’s decision-making process should be clear and accessible. Just as Aristotle believed that all reasoning must be traceable back to basic, self-evident truths (first principles), first principles transparency in AI advocates for the system’s workings to be explained from the ground up, enabling users to understand how each part contributes to the final output.