Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Viewpoint: The Future of Human-Centric Explainable Artificial Intelligence is not Post-Hoc Explanations
 
review article

Viewpoint: The Future of Human-Centric Explainable Artificial Intelligence is not Post-Hoc Explanations

Swamy, Vinitra  
•
Frej, Jibril  
•
Käser, Tanja  
2025
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research

Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) plays a crucial role in enabling human understanding and trust in deep learning systems. As models get larger, more ubiquitous, and pervasive in aspects of daily life, explainability is necessary to minimize adverse effects of model mistakes. Unfortunately, current approaches in human-centric XAI (e.g. predictive tasks in healthcare, education, or personalized ads) tend to rely on a single post-hoc explainer, whereas recent work has identified systematic disagreement between post-hoc explainers when applied to the same instances of underlying black-box models. In this viewpoint paper, we therefore present a call for action to address the limitations of current state-of-the-art explainers. We propose a shift from post-hoc explainability to designing interpretable neural network architectures. We identify five needs of human-centric XAI (real-time, accurate, actionable, human-interpretable, and consistent) and propose two possible routes forward for interpretable-by-design neural network workflows (adaptive routing and temporal diagnostics). We postulate that the future of human-centric XAI is neither in explaining black-boxes nor in reverting to traditional, interpretable models, but in neural networks that are intrinsically interpretable.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
review article
DOI
10.1613/jair.1.17970
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105015296225

Author(s)
Swamy, Vinitra  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Frej, Jibril  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Käser, Tanja  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Date Issued

2025

Published in
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research
Volume

84

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
ML4ED  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

SERI

Available on Infoscience
September 19, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/254141
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés