The trilogy
automated decision system
Any technology that assists or replaces the judgment of a human decision-maker, including systems described by their vendors as agents — whether or not any human remains able to describe what the system is doing.
An automated decision system is any technology that assists or replaces the judgment of a human decision-maker — including systems described by their vendors as agents, whether or not any human remains able to describe what the system is doing. The definition is deliberately broad. It covers everything from a chatbot that denies insurance claims to an AI that manages a power grid.
How the term evolves
Contingent: The legal definition that makes regulation possible. Without it, every vendor can claim their system is "just a tool."
Essential: The definition is under political pressure. The accelerationist movement wants to narrow it — if fewer systems count as "automated decision systems," fewer systems require oversight.