Algorithms for reliable decision-making need causal reasoning

The paper emphasizes the necessity of causal reasoning for reliable algorithmic decision-making (ADM). It explains that real-world decisions involve cause-and-effect relationships, making causal challenges inherent in ADM systems. To ensure reliability, ADM algorithms must incorporate explicit assumptions about the underlying causal structure. The text highlights the distinction between causal estimands (the true effects of decisions) and statistical estimands (what can be estimated from observed data), and how aligning these is crucial. Finally, it discusses challenges like data quality, uncertainty quantification, performativity, and evaluation, arguing that a causal perspective is essential for addressing them and building trust in ADM.