Examining AI Safety: The Role of Leaking Abstractions in the 737 Max 8 Incident

In this article, we delve into a critical aspect of AI safety, focusing on the concept of leaking abstractions. This term, derived from software engineering, is now being applied to AI systems. Its relevance is underscored by the Boeing 737 Max 8 incident, where a malfunctioning automation system played a significant role. Understanding and mitigating such issues are crucial for responsible AI governance, ensuring safe and secure AI applications.

Matched TAIM controls

Suggested mapping from embedding similarity (not a formal assessment). Browse all TAIM controls

MEASURE 2.6 — similarity 0.689, rank 1. TAIM detail and related incidents →
MAP 1.6 — similarity 0.659, rank 2. TAIM detail and related incidents →
MAP 4.1 — similarity 0.652, rank 3. TAIM detail and related incidents →

Source

Data from the AI Incident Database (AIID). Cite this incident: https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/3

Data source

Incident data is from the AI Incident Database (AIID).

When citing the database as a whole, please use:

McGregor, S. (2021) Preventing Repeated Real World AI Failures by Cataloging Incidents: The AI Incident Database. In Proceedings of the Thirty-Third Annual Conference on Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence (IAAI-21). Virtual Conference.

Pre-print on arXiv · Database snapshots & citation guide

We use weekly snapshots of the AIID for stable reference. For the official suggested citation of a specific incident, use the “Cite this incident” link on each incident page.