Trust Meter Technical Specification – Public Review
The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC), OCAD University, invites public review of the Trust Meter Technical Specification, a non normative technical specification funded by the Standards Council of Canada’s AI and Data Governance program.
The Trust Meter addresses statistical discrimination in AI supported decision making, particularly harms that arise when individuals or groups are out of distribution relative to the data on which AI systems are trained. These risks are especially relevant for marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, whose circumstances are often poorly captured by aggregate data.
The draft specification provides:
- a discussion of statistical discrimination and outlier risk
- an analysis of potential harms in AI systems used for decision making
- guidance on governance, data, architectural, deployment, and monitoring strategies
- non normative recommendations intended to inform implementers, operators, and reviewers
The specification applies primarily to machine learning based classification systems and decision support tools, including systems that inform human decision making.
How to submit comments
Reviewers may provide feedback using any of the following methods:
- Download the Word document, use track changes and/or comments, and email it to Vera Roberts vroberts@ocadu.ca
- File an issue in the project GitHub repository (one comment per issue is preferred)
- Send written feedback by email to Vera Roberts vroberts@ocadu.ca
- Use the “Make a copy” Google Doc link provided, add comments or tracked changes with reviewer access, and send Vera Roberts vroberts@ocadu.ca the link to your copy
We welcome suggestions, corrections, clarifications, and examples, including:
- examples of harms or near misses involving AI systems
- experience with mitigation strategies discussed in the draft
- analysis of where the draft could be strengthened or clarified
The public review period end May 13, 2026. While not all comments may be incorporated, all feedback will be reviewed and considered.