Renée Cummings is a criminologist, criminal psychologist, AI ethics evangelist and data activist in residence at the University of Virginia.  

In this compelling discussion, Renée shares her journey from journalism to the judiciary and into AI. She articulates the power of perspective, why intersectionality and imagination are key to AI’s future, and the extraordinary good we can accomplish with AI in all domains - including policing. If, that is, we vigilantly guard against creating a future modeled only on the past.  

Renée is comfortable being uncomfortable and believes this is vital when developing AI systems. Kimberly and Renée discuss the need for balance in solving the thorniest AI dilemmas. Technology or thinking? Risk- or right-based assessment? Debiasing data or the mind? Social sciences or STEM? Renée broadens our understanding of why diverse tactics produce better AI. And why authenticity and the courage to admit when we get it wrong (because we will) will create an AI legacy we can all be proud of. 

A full transcript of this episode can be found here.  

Our next episode will feature Beena Ammanath, Executive Director of Deloitte’s Global AI Institute and founder of the non-profit Humans for AI. Subscribe to Pondering AI now so you don’t miss it.