Workshop on Reviewable and Auditable Pervasive Systems (WRAPS)

Abstract

Pervasive systems are increasingly being deployed in new and innovative ways – be it in our homes, vehicles, or public spaces. Such systems have the potential to bring a wide range of benefits, blending advanced functionality with the physical environment. However, these systems also have the potential to drive real-world consequences through decisions, interactions, or actuations, and there is a real risk that their use can lead to harms (physical injuries, financial loss, or even death). These concerns appear ever-more prevalent, as a growing sense of distrust has led to calls for more transparency and accountability surrounding the emerging technologies that increasingly pervade our world. A range of things can—and often do—go wrong, be they technical failure, user error, or otherwise. As such, means to effectively review, understand, and act upon the inner workings of pervasive systems is becoming increasingly important. Means for reviewing and auditing how these systems are built/developed and used are crucial to the ability to determine the cause of failures, prevent re-occurrences, and/or to identify parties at fault. Yet, despite the wider landscape of societal and legal pressures for record keeping and increased accountability, implementing such transparency measures faces a range of challenges. This workshop will bring together a range of perspectives into how we can better audit and understand the complex, sociotechnical systems that increasingly affect us (whether directly or indirectly). From tools for data capture and retrieval, technical/ethical/legal challenges, and early ideas on concepts of relevance – we solicit submissions that help further our understanding of how pervasive systems can be built to be reviewable and auditable, helping them to be more transparent, trustworthy, and accountable.