The Academic Minute

On New York University: Do we need to take AI to kindergarten? Cristina Savin, associate professor in neural science and data science, says AI needs to start learning more like humans. CS is an Assoc. Professor in Neural Science and Data Science at NYU and the Director for Graduate Studies (PhD) in the Center for […]

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On New York University Week: Not all building-related issues are reported in cities, so how can machine learning help fill the gaps? Daniel Neill, professor of computer science, public service, and urban analytics and Director of the Machine Learning for Good Laboratory, delves into this question. Daniel B. Neill, Ph.D., is Professor of Computer Science, […]

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On New York University Week: We’re always making decisions in life, so how can we improve our decision-making? Marcelo Mattar, assistant professor of psychology and neural science, uses tiny AI models to find out. Dr Marcelo Mattar is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University. He holds a PhD in […]

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On New York University Week: Bird wings aren’t just made for flying. David Fouhey, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, examines another benefit. David Fouhey is an Assistant Professor at NYU, jointly appointed between Computer Science in the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Tandon School of Engineering. […]

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On New York University Week: Eliminating bias in AI will require work.

Meredith Broussard, professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, examines strategies to do so.

Faculty Bio:

Data journalist Meredith Broussard is a professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology, and the author of several books, including “More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech” and “Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World.”

Transcript:

My research is about the many ways that AI systems reproduce real-world biases and inequality. In my research I find that all AI systems discriminate by default.The problem is that the training data that we’re using is data that comes from the real world. So, the data that we’re feeding into AI systems has all of the biases of the real world. Instead of assuming that AI decisions are unbiased or neutral, it’s more useful to assume that the AI decisions are going to be biased or discriminatory in some way. Then, we can work to prevent AI from replicating historical problems and historical inequalities.One thing I like to keep in mind is the difference between mathematical fairness and social fairness. Something that is divided equally mathematically is not the same as something that is divided equally socially. One example is If you have one chocolate chip cookie left and you have two children, you want to divide it in half, right? So mathematically we would divide the cookie 50-50. But in the real world, when you break a cookie, there’s a big half and a small half, so then there’s some negotiation and you want both kids to come out feeling like the division is fair.AI is really great at math, but it’s not so good at social—and the social context matters. Social determinants of health, for example, directly affect individual outcomes and the health of our communities—and these are usually not factors that AI takes into consideration.AI is powerful technology, but it is not inevitable—we have an opportunity now to be careful about how we use AI and be thoughtful about the kind of world we want to create with it.

Read More:[MIT Press] – More Than a Glitch[MIT Press] – Artificial Unintelligence

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Treating prostate cancer is challenging, but help may be on the way. Joshi Alumkal, Wicha family professor of oncology at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, explores how. Alumkal spent most of his childhood and early adulthood in Texas. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s in biology. […]

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Our understanding of dementia may need an update. Annemari Kilpelainen, doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, tells us why. Annemari Kilpeläinen is a neurologist at the Neurocenter of Kuopio University Hospital and a PhD researcher at the University of Eastern Finland. Her clinical interests focus on epilepsy and movement disorders, while her research […]

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How can we bring joy into education? Johanna Smith, professor of theater education and entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino, finds a way to incorporate it. Johanna Smith is a Professor of Theatre Education and Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino. She has served as an artist and educator for professional theatres, museums, […]

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Relationships are important to our health, so how do we foster them? Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Scientific Leadership Council Chair and Board Member, Foundation for Social Connection, and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connections Lab at Brigham Young University, details how to get connected. Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad is the founding scientific chair […]

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What can our children’s screen time teach us about family relationships? Cecilia Sada Garibay, graduate student in communication at the University of Arizona, observes to find the answer. Before entering her Ph.D. program, Sada Garibay was a professor and researcher at the School of Communication at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. There, she taught courses […]

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