Security & Trust · Governance
Simulating a decision does not mean delegating the decision.
A simulation can inform a decision. It does not replace the decision-maker.
This page sets out when simulation is used, reviewed or refused.
- Objective
- People affected
- Consequence
- Role of simulation
- Review
- Décision
Three questions to assess a use case.
Objective, affected population, consequence.
- Objective
- Affected population
- Consequence
The uses for which simulation is designed.
Explore reactions at a collective level before a decision.
Test a proposal
Test a project against simulated reactions before finalizing it.
Standard use
Compare scenarios
Compare variants and observe where they diverge.
Standard use
Identify points of friction
Identify objections and tensions at population level.
Standard use
Prepare a consultation
Anticipate issues that need to be examined without replacing real consultation.
Standard use
The greater the consequence, the more tightly the simulation is governed.
These contexts are reviewed before an engagement is accepted, made subject to conditions, or refused. They are not general regulatory prohibitions.
Vulnerable populations
Precarity, dependency, minority status or particular exposure.
Review criterion
Rights / access to a service
Decisions affecting a right, a benefit or employment.
Review criterion
Employment or significant consequence
Decisions with high individual or collective impact and exposure to public debate.
Review criterion
Healthcare, education, credit, public sector
Areas where human assessment or consultation remains required.
Review criterion
Uses we exclude.
A synthetic population does not enable prediction of a real individual.
Prediction or scoring of a real person
No result predicts or scores an identified person.
Refused use
Discriminatory treatment
Disadvantaging a group on the basis of protected characteristics.
Refused use
Targeted manipulation of vulnerable people
Exploiting vulnerabilities to steer behavior against people's interests.
Refused use
Substitution for a required human decision
Replacing expertise or consultation required by law or prudence.
Refused use
Any use contrary to applicable law is also excluded. Refusal of an engagement is decided by management on the recommendation of the scoping team.
Who is responsible for what?
The engagement contract prevails. The client remains responsible for the final decision.
Purpose
Client
Defines the decision to be informed and the intended use.
Imagine All The People
Reviews the purpose and may refuse the engagement or make it subject to conditions.
Data
Client
Ensures the provenance of the data provided and the right to use it.
Imagine All The People
Processes data within the agreed scope and documents its use.
Construction / configuration
Client
Validates typologies and scenarios against its knowledge of the field.
Imagine All The People
Builds the synthetic population and defines the protocol and its limitations.
Interpretation
Client
Compares the results with its knowledge of the field.
Imagine All The People
Delivers the results with their uncertainty and scope of validity.
Final decision
Client
Makes the decision and assumes its consequences.
Imagine All The People
Does not make any decision on behalf of the client.
- Formulation
- Configuration
- Interpretation
- Décision
Bias, robustness and evidence statuses are detailed in Understand scientific validation →
A governance framework does not turn a simulation into truth.
Review ≠ absence of bias
A review reduces certain risks but does not make a model neutral.
Simulation ≠ legitimacy of the decision
A result alone does not establish the legitimacy of a collective decision.
Human oversight ≠ dilution of responsibility
Human involvement only has value if it can challenge the result.
Compliance ≠ ethics
A legally permitted use is not automatically desirable.
Continue
Regulatory qualification depends on the use case.
View compliance →Understand the data scope.
View →View the technical controls and their actual status.
View →A use-case review with your DPO, legal team or AI lead? Talk to our team →
Your next decision
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