Algorithmic Transparency from the South: Examining the state of algorithmic transparency in Chile’s public administration algorithms.

This paper presents the results and conclusions of the study on algorithmic transparency in public Administration and the use of automated decision systems within the State of Chile, carried out by the Public Innovation Laboratory of the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in alliance with the Chilean Transparency Council. In the first part we delimit the concept of algorithmic transparency, and the different considerations that can derive from this concept. We detail the information gathering procedure carried out on the use of automated decision systems in the public administration and evaluate its status according to a defined transparency framework. It then examines the state of administrative regulation and access to public information in Chile and how algorithmic transparency could be included within the current legal norms in Chile. The results of this study show that there is a use of automated decision systems in critical operations in the Chilean public Administration and that the current legal framework enables the implementation of an algorithmic transparency standard for the public administration, in a flexible, scaled way and with criteria that allow citizens to evaluate their interaction with these systems. Building on the results of this research, in 2022 the Transparency Council piloted a draft algorithmic transparency standard with seven algorithms from four public agencies. A public consultation and the publication of the final standard is expected in 2023.