blackbox
Input-output mystery
A blackbox is a system whose internal workings are hidden or unknown—you see inputs and outputs but not what happens between them.
The term comes from engineering, where flight recorders (actually orange) became known as black boxes.
In computing and machine learning, blackbox describes algorithms or models that produce results without revealing their reasoning: The AI's decision-making process is a complete blackbox.
To blackbox something is to treat it as opaque, ignoring internal mechanics.
Also spelled black box.
Aircraft data preservation device
- cockpit voice recorderDevice recording aircraft crew speech
- crash investigationAnalysis of collision causes
- accident reconstructionDetermining crash causes scientifically
- NTSBFederal accident investigation agency
FAA · aircraft safety · transponder · air traffic control · airworthiness · aeronautics · FDR
Not yet discovered
- hiddenKept out of sight
- opaqueImpassable to light
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
- impenetrableImpossible to pass through
mysterious · unexplained · concealed · obscured · unexamined · input-output · abstraction · encapsulation
Finite problem-solving procedure
- machine learningAlgorithms that improve from data
- neural networkInterconnected computational nodes mimicking cognition
- deep learningLayered neural network methods
- AISimulated cognitive processing
model · prediction · input-output · training data · automation · explainability · interpretability · bias
Small-capacity performance space
- intimate venueSmall gathering space
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
- fringeOutermost edge or margin
- off-BroadwaySmaller-scale New York theater
flight recorder
Aircraft data preservation device
- cockpit voice recorderDevice recording aircraft crew speech
- crash investigationAnalysis of collision causes
- accident reconstructionDetermining crash causes scientifically
NTSB · FAA · aircraft safety · transponder · air traffic control · airworthiness · aeronautics · FDR
unknown
Not yet discovered
- hiddenKept out of sight
- opaqueImpassable to light
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
impenetrable · mysterious · unexplained · concealed · obscured · unexamined · input-output · abstraction · encapsulation · inner workings
algorithm
Finite problem-solving procedure
- machine learningAlgorithms that improve from data
- neural networkInterconnected computational nodes mimicking cognition
- deep learningLayered neural network methods
AI · model · prediction · input-output · training data · automation · explainability · interpretability · bias · accountability
studio theater
Small-capacity performance space
- intimate venueSmall gathering space
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
- fringeOutermost edge or margin
blackboxglass box
Transparent rigid container
transparent · explainable · interpretable · traceable · legible
blackboxopen source
Publicly accessible code
open system · modular design · inspectable · accessible · disclosed
blackboxopen source
Publicly accessible code
open system · inspectable · reverse-engineered · debuggable · modifiable
blackbird, blackball, blackballing, blackballed, blackballs, blackboxes, blackboxed