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Analysing emerging discourses on alogorithmic decision-making in high-stakes domains : an integrated perspective on trust and artificial intelligence in the European insurance industry
Date
2025-12
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly deployed in the decision-making processes of high-stakes sectors like financial services, raising significant ethical concerns over algorithmic bias and financial exclusion. In response to the growing real-world implications, the European regulatory community has advocated for the concept of trustworthy AI (TAI). Trust is often viewed as inherently beneficial, highlighting its strategic role in fostering acceptance and adoption. However, empirical evidence supporting a linear relationship between trust, its determinants, and outcomes remains inconsistent. Addressing recent calls for more context-specific insights, we integrate established theoretical frameworks with the perspectives of institutional actors in the European insurance industry. Insurance as a practice revolves around the promise of future protection, underscoring the significance of vulnerability and risk in this particular setting. As a sector, it has considerable disciplinary power, a dynamic that may be amplified with the integration of modern AI systems. Drawing on insights from the German market, we critically discuss the implications of invoking continuity of data-driven decision-making processes, sector-specific challenges, and a business case-driven approach on trust dynamics. In this sociotechnical system perspective, we explore the critical role of trust in the providing organisation and the institutional safeguards, leveraging trust transfer processes that move beyond AI as the genuine object of trust. In reporting our expert interview study, we engage with recent methodological discussions in this emerging research field. We have developed a 4x3 matrix designed to enhance transparency in reflexive thematic analysis practices. This research provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between trust and AI in a high-stakes context, which has significant spillover effects on broader public policy realms.
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University of Limerick
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Ressel_2025_Analysing.pdf
Adobe PDF, 5.04 MB
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Sustainable Development Goals
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International