Conference paper
What can the Post Office ‘Horizon’ scandal teach about Artificial Intelligence deployment?
Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2025: Proceedings of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors Annual Conference, pp.224-232
Ergonomics & Human Factors Conference, 2025 (Burton upon Trent, United Kingdom, 28-Apr-2025–30-Apr-2025)
Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors
2025
Abstract
In this paper we use the Post Office Horizon scandal. Broadly, accounting errors arising from a computer system were falsely attributed to Subpostmasters who were subsequently accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting. Over 700 prosecutions have been successfully appealed and convictions quashed. Coupled with severe technical shortcomings, there was confirmation bias in the decisions of Post Office Limited to prosecute Subpostmasters and an assumption in UK Law that computers do not make mistakes (unless proven otherwise). From a review of evidence and newspaper reports of specific cases in the Post Office Horizon scandal, we construct and analyse Accimaps. We argue that a common problem across these cases is how different sorts of ‘black box’ of the Horizon system meant that it lacked transparency for all stakeholders.
Details
- Title
- What can the Post Office ‘Horizon’ scandal teach about Artificial Intelligence deployment?
- Authors
- Chris Baber - University of BirminghamBrandon King - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical SystemsPaul Salmon - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical SystemsYihao Jiang - University of Birmingham
- Contributors
- Dave Golightly (Editor)Nora Balfe (Editor)Rebecca Charles (Editor)
- Publication details
- Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2025: Proceedings of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors Annual Conference, pp.224-232
- Conference details
- Ergonomics & Human Factors Conference, 2025 (Burton upon Trent, United Kingdom, 28-Apr-2025–30-Apr-2025)
- Publisher
- Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors
- Date published
- 2025
- Organisation Unit
- Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems; School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991136703002621
- Output Type
- Conference paper
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