Evaluation methods and metrics towards trustworthy AI

Abstract The ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are introducing new technologies, initiatives, and applications. To assure that these developments do not translate into potential risks that are not captured, understood, measured, and managed, a trustworthiness approach is necessary. AI trustworthiness is treated as a multidimensional construct that spans transparency, safety, security, privacy, robustness, and fairness. We argue that these properties they should be translated into explicit, testable criteria. This article aims to synthesize evaluation approaches that make AI trustworthiness observable and measurable, enabling stakeholders to identify gaps, prioritize improvements, and align system behaviour with ethical, social, and legal values. A scoping review (resulting in 27 papers) is augmented with knowledge of 6 experts to map (i) the main trustworthy AI aspects, (ii) the evaluation methods used to assess these aspects, (iii) the metrics applied within them, and (iv) recommendations proposed to strengthen trustworthiness. The results suggest that current evaluation practices interpret and operationalize trustworthy AI in diverse ways. They often rely on established methods or benchmarks that may imply bias, limited comparability, or provide limited insight into the reasoning quality. We recommend to design evaluation frameworks that explicitly target trustworthiness aspects from a multidisciplinary angle and being instantiated to specific contexts or problems.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
AI and Ethics
Published
2026-09-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-026-01349-z
Primary Topic
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
article

Evaluation methods and metrics towards trustworthy AI

Catharina Margaretha van Leersum, Clara Maathuis
AI and Ethics
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
article

Evaluation methods and metrics towards trustworthy AI

Catharina Margaretha van Leersum, Clara Maathuis
article en

Abstract

Abstract The ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are introducing new technologies, initiatives, and applications. To assure that these developments do not translate into potential risks that are not captured, understood, measured, and managed, a trustworthiness approach is necessary. AI trustworthiness is treated as a multidimensional construct that spans transparency, safety, security, privacy, robustness, and fairness. We argue that these properties they should be translated into explicit, testable criteria. This article aims to synthesize evaluation approaches that make AI trustworthiness observable and measurable, enabling stakeholders to identify gaps, prioritize improvements, and align system behaviour with ethical, social, and legal values. A scoping review (resulting in 27 papers) is augmented with knowledge of 6 experts to map (i) the main trustworthy AI aspects, (ii) the evaluation methods used to assess these aspects, (iii) the metrics applied within them, and (iv) recommendations proposed to strengthen trustworthiness. The results suggest that current evaluation practices interpret and operationalize trustworthy AI in diverse ways. They often rely on established methods or benchmarks that may imply bias, limited comparability, or provide limited insight into the reasoning quality. We recommend to design evaluation frameworks that explicitly target trustworthiness aspects from a multidisciplinary angle and being instantiated to specific contexts or problems.

AI and EthicsVol. 6(5)
Open University of the Netherlands (NL)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Evaluation methods and metrics towards trustworthy AI — Catharina Margaretha van Leersum, Clara Maathuis · AI and Ethics (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS