The Equitable AI Trust Index™: A Civic Framework for Democratic AI Governance

Title: The Equitable AI Trust Index™: A Civic Framework for Democratic AI Governance Description: The Equitable AI Trust Index™ is a landmark whitepaper authored by Rohan Sharma, introducing a standardized, multidimensional framework to benchmark the trustworthiness of AI systems. Aligned with global standards from NIST, OECD, and the EU AI Act, this civic tool empowers policymakers, enterprises, and NGOs to evaluate AI transparency, fairness, equity risks, and accountability. The framework includes a scorecard, trust radar visualization, maturity model, and benchmarking heatmap—offering actionable tools to operationalize democratic AI governance. This whitepaper serves as both a public disclosure and timestamped record of authorship, aiming to bridge the gap between principles and practice in responsible AI deployment. Keywords: AI governance, algorithmic trust, equitable AI, NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act, civic tech, AI risk assessment, benchmarking, responsible AI, transparency, fairness, democratic oversight Author: Rohan SharmaOrganization: Zenolabs.AIDate: June 1, 2025Contact: [email protected]: www.rohansharma.net