Validate the sensitivity of heuristic machine-side trust parameters

Characterize the sensitivity of the CRiDiT machine-side trustworthiness estimate to variations in its heuristic base masses, severity-scaling formula, and fixed context weight, and determine whether these choices materially affect reported calibration states.

Background

The CRiDiT prototype computes the machine trustworthiness estimate using heuristic parameters: polarity-dependent base masses, a severity-scaling rule, and a fixed context weight. These choices were selected during piloting to generate plausible trust dynamics, but they were neither derived from empirical data nor independently validated.

Because the machine-side estimate is one of the two quantities used to determine the calibration gap and trigger remediation, variation in these parameters could alter the system’s reported trust dynamics and calibration states. The paper explicitly identifies the effect of such variation as unresolved for the next design cycle.

References

The base masses, severity scaling formula, and context weight are heuristic choices made to produce plausible trust dynamics during piloting. They were not derived from empirical data nor independently validated; their sensitivity to variation is not characterised in this study and constitutes an open question for the next design cycle.

— CRiDiT: Instantiating a run-time testbed for trust calibration in AI-infused systems  (2609.24833 - Ding et al., 21 Sep 2026) in Section 3.3.1, subsection “Operationalisation of CRiDiT Constructs”

Two operator choices remain open and are testable against the interaction logs without new data: whether DST with PCR5 is more sensitive than linear weighted-sum aggregation under conflicting evidence, and whether prioritising behavioural over subjective inputs yields a more stable $\mathcal{H}_t$ than equal weighting.

— CRiDiT: Instantiating a run-time testbed for trust calibration in AI-infused systems  (2609.24833 - Ding et al., 21 Sep 2026) in Section 6.2, subsection “Next Design Cycle”