The Riddle of the Black and White Box

The Riddle of the Black and White Box refers to understanding complex systems—like AI models—by how much we can see inside them. A "black box" is a system where inputs and outputs are visible, but its internal workings are hidden or difficult to interpret. A "white box" is transparent, allowing us to see and understand how decisions are made internally. The challenge is balancing performance with interpretability, as highly accurate models (often black boxes) can be hard to explain, while transparent models (white boxes) may be less powerful. It's about finding the right trade-off for clarity and effectiveness.