AI engineering glossary · AI ethics law product
What is counterfactual explanation?
Counterfactual explanation (also called what-if explanation): An explanation stating the smallest change to an input that would flip the model's decision, for example 'your loan would have been approved if your income were Rs 50,000 higher'. It is intuitive for affected people and points to actionable steps.
Counterfactual explanation: an example
A rejected applicant is told the outcome would change if the requested amount were reduced from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.
Related terms
More AI ethics law product terms
- Counterfactual fairness
- Cross-border data transfer
- CSAT
- Dark patterns
- Data breach notification
- Data controller
- Data Fiduciary
- Data flywheel
Where you learn it
Counterfactual explanation is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.