  In January and February 2020, the Scottish Government released two documents
for review by the public regarding their artificial intelligence (AI) strategy.
The Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI) reviewed these documents and published
a response on 4 June 2020. MAIEI's response examines several questions that
touch on the proposed definition of AI; the people-centered nature of the
strategy; considerations to ensure that everyone benefits from AI; the
strategy's overarching vision; Scotland's AI ecosystem; the proposed strategic
themes; and how to grow public confidence in AI by building responsible and
ethical systems.
  In addition to examining the points above, MAIEI suggests that the strategy
be extended to include considerations on biometric data and how that will be
processed and used in the context of AI. It also highlights the importance of
tackling head-on the inherently stochastic nature of deep learning systems and
developing concrete guidelines to ensure that these systems are built
responsibly and ethically, particularly as machine learning becomes more
accessible. Finally, it concludes that any national AI strategy must clearly
address the measurements of success in regards to the strategy's stated goals
and vision to ensure that they are interpreted and applied consistently. To do
this, there must be inclusion and transparency between those building the
systems and those using them in their work.
