Data Science Ethics Podcast

Show Notes on Encode Equity Organizations have flocked to data science as a means of achieving unbiased results in decision-making on the premise that “the data doesn’t lie.” Yet, as data is reflective of the biases in our culture, in our history, and in our perspectives, it is particularly naïve to assume that models will […]

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Show Notes on Tay Bot Tay Bot was a very short-lived chat AI. Launched by Microsoft in 2016 with the goal of researching conversational speech online, it soon learned all-too-well from users that there is a very dark side to human nature on the internet. Within 24 hours, Tay Bot was both repeating and generating […]

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Show Notes on Incorporate Inclusivity Data scientists develop algorithms that have broad reach across the population. Chances are that the data science team building these widely-impactful models are not, themselves, large enough to represent so big a swath of the population. How can a small, likely less-diverse team acquire the wisdom of many? In this […]

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Show Notes on Apple Credit Card Apple recently decided to offer a branded Apple credit card in conjunction with Goldman Sachs. This is the first foray into consumer credit cards for both companies and all did not go according to plan. David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of Ruby on Rails, applied for the card and tweeted […]

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Show Notes on Retain Responsibility One of the core tenets of ethical behavior in data science revolves around the concept of needing to retain responsibility or accountability. A differentiator between our take on this and that most commonly conveyed is the distinction between the two terms. Why, then, do we use the term “responsibility” instead […]

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Data is infinite. Digital is inevitable. Sheila Colclasure This week we are talking about the efforts underway around the world to promote ethical, accountable data use, the promise and terror of AI, the need for a universal translator, and much more. Leading this conversation is Sheila Colclasure, Global Chief Data Ethics Officer and Public Policy […]

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Show Notes on 2B-Alert The US Army commissioned a study to find the optimal amount and timing of caffeine consumption for soldiers to maintain peak alertness. I have never been more proud of my tax dollars in all my life. Now, the 2B-Alert tool has been released in a web application accessible to the public. […]

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Episode 30: Colleges Fake Data for Rankings – Show Notes Going to college is a life-altering decision for young adults. They prepare themselves with academics, standardized tests, extracurricular activities, and a host of research as to the best fit for their interests. The colleges, for their part, provide marketing materials, campus outreach, tours, and more […]

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Episode 29: Tesla Data Storage – Show Notes Tesla has given the world a new promise between its electric engine, sleek styling, and amazing autopilot. But under the hood lurks a dangerous secret. Every time a phone pairs with the vehicle, all of the contact data, phone call logs, messages, and more gets pulled into […]

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Episode 28: Collect Carefully – Show Notes The era of Big Data has meant the ability gathering and processing of vast stores of information about almost anything. It enables data scientists to bring enormous swaths of data to bear on a given problem. Further, it expands the ability to collect data from research techniques that […]

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