A doctoral thesis defended at the University of Tartu emphasizes the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in affecting human lives through decision-making processes. The research indicates that while AI systems are increasingly utilized across sectors such as healthcare, finance, and education, they often fail to provide meaningful explanations for their decisions. This lack of transparency leads to trust issues among individuals who interact with these systems since they encounter mere outcomes without understanding the rationale behind them.

As AI becomes more potent and complex, the challenge of delivering comprehensible justifications grows. For instance, in healthcare, decisions regarding diagnoses may significantly impact lives, and users need assurance that AI reasoning aligns with human values. The thesis stresses that the inability of AI to articulate 'why' a particular decision was made could hinder its acceptance, particularly in critical scenarios where lives, financial resources, or future opportunities are at stake.

Addressing this gap, the concept of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is critical to developing AI systems capable of giving realistic and credible explanations for their actions. This research contributes to the broader discourse on the ethical deployment of AI technologies, encouraging developers and stakeholders to prioritize clarity and reasoning in machine learning algorithms to foster greater public trust.