Ethical Tech: Bias, Algorithms and Social Justice

Beginning with Bias: Unpacking the Complexities of Developing Ethical AI systems

Dr Shauna Concannon (CRASSH, University of Cambridge)

Language-based Artificially Intelligent systems are typically trained on linguistic data generated by people; consequently, they routinely reinforce existing social biases. The European Commission’s guidance on trustworthy AI instructs that socially constructed biases must be removed from datasets used to train AI systems. However, the biases inherent in linguistic data are vast and varied, and developing a balanced and unbiased dataset may be practically impossible to implement. Furthermore, debiasing as a concept is opaque and what it means in practice for language-based systems is unclear. The goal of bias removal is to ensure systems operate fairly, but it also involves instigating a conscientious change from how language is used and represented (in the relevant dataset) to how it should be. In this talk I will explore the ethical and societal implications of artificially intelligent language-related technologies. Drawing on critical and feminist theoretical perspectives, and insights from practical efforts to mitigate bias from neural language systems, I will reflect on the complexities and considerations required to develop artificially intelligent systems that are ethical and just.

Exploring fairness and justice in digital innovation

Dr Clara Crivellaro (University of Newcastle)

In this talk, I will explore how a social justice perspective can help engage with the structures and dominant world views that underline much digital innovation and the replication of social issues. I will first position the work within current discourses on digital innovation, ethics and equity in order to outline critical lines of inquiry. Then, drawing from a range of projects and activities, I will discuss ways in which we can open up possibilities and proactively begin to create the conditions for technologies to support social innovation and social justice’ aspirations and goals.

Presentations will be followed by a wine reception.