Eivertailuperusteiset

Eivertailuperusteiset is a theoretical framework in ethics and public policy that advocates evaluating policies and technologies against universal, baseline criteria rather than tailoring them to specific subgroups. The term is Finnish in origin, coined by scholars in the early 2020s. It emphasizes principled evaluation over adaptive customization and seeks to promote fairness, transparency, and transferability across contexts.

The concept emerged from debates about algorithmic fairness and public governance in Finland; a 2022 Helsinki workshop brought together ethicists, computer scientists, and policymakers to discuss how baselines could guide accountability. Subsequent publications clarified its definitions, methods, and limitations.

Core ideas include four pillars: universality (policies should apply broadly unless a justified exception exists), non-tailor-based baselines (criteria set without subgroup-specific adjustments), transparency (criteria and assessments must be openly documented), and testability (results should be verifiable through independent evaluation). Proponents argue this reduces bias from overfitting to particular populations.

Methods involve benchmarking policies against established baseline criteria, using cross-domain datasets, and reporting performance on general rather than subgroup-specific metrics.

Applications span AI governance, public policy evaluation, and education technology. Critics argue that the approach risks erasing legitimate diversity and neglecting context-specific needs, potentially leading to rigid, ineffective solutions. Supporters counter that baselines provide a stable reference point for accountability and comparability.

See also: Tailoring, Universal design, Algorithmic fairness.