Modelling Intended Uses/Purposes as Use-Cases

Hi All.
Continuing the discussion from the last meeting [1], here is my proposal 
to model phrases such as "intended uses" and "intended purposes" that 
occur in documentation such as Datasheets [2] and Model Cards [3] and AI 
Act [4] in the form of `Use-Case` in DPV. My thoughts and examples are 
here: https://harshp.com/dev/dpv/use-cases-01 

The proposal involves adding `dpv:UseCase` as a subclass of 
`dpv:Process` and creating specific use-case categories such as 
`dpv:IntendedUseCase` and `dpv:DeterredUseCase` along with properties 
such as `dpv:hasIntendedUseCase` and `dpv:hasDeterredUseCase`. This will 
allow documentations to directly state what are the intended uses (as 
use-cases) and which uses are risky or "fraught" as the datasheets and 
model cards papers phrase it. Examples are in the blog link above.

For AI Act, which uses the specific phrasing "intended purpose", we 
create `aiact:IntendedPurpose` as a subclass of `dpv:IntendedUseCase` 
and add a note that intended purpose here refers to broader 
use-case/scenarios of use rather than just the end purpose, in line with 
the AI Act's intended meaning (pun intended-intended!). This way, folks 
working with the AI Act can use the same phrase as it occurs in the text 
of the law while in DPV it is modelled as a use-case which itself is a 
process. For example, in `aiact:TechnicalDocumentation` we can have 
`aiact:hasIntendedPurpose` which is how the AI Act stakeholders uses it.

For the existing `tech:IntendedUse`, it should be deprecated as it 
overlaps with the intended use-case proposed above. We added it earlier 
as a way to describe what the technology could be used for -- whether it 
is a specific operation or a high-level purpose. However, it is detached 
from the other DPV concepts, and more importantly it does not have a 
structure/model for how to express uses or other things like recommended 
use-cases, deterred use-cases, etc. which are also required in 
documentations.

[1] https://w3c.github.io/dpv/meetings/meeting-2025-04-17.html#t06
[2] https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.09010
[3] https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.03993

Thanks for regards,
-- 
---
Harshvardhan J. Pandit, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University
https://harshp.com/

Received on Sunday, 20 April 2025 10:55:46 UTC