About The Event
Over the past decade, algorithmic accountability has become a major concern for social scientists, computer scientists, journalists, and attorneys. Investigative reports have sparked vibrant debates about algorithmic sentencing and fairness. Researchers have revealed tech giants showing women ads for lower-paying jobs, discriminating against older individuals, using deceptive dark patterns to manipulate consumers, and steering users toward extremist content. Public-spirited regulators are now addressing algorithmic transparency and online fairness, building on the work of legal scholars advocating for technological due process, platform neutrality, and nondiscrimination principles.
This policy work is just beginning, as experts translate academic research and activist demands into statutes and regulations. Lawmakers are proposing bills to establish basic standards for algorithmic transparency and auditing. We are embarking on a journey to ensure AI-based hiring practices and financial underwriting do not disproportionately affect historically marginalized communities.
The initial wave of algorithmic accountability research and activism has targeted individual encounters with existing systems. An emerging second wave is now addressing broader structural concerns. Both waves are essential for creating a fairer and more genuinely emancipatory political economy of technology. The second wave is particularly important for understanding the promise and perils of formalizing evaluative criteria.
Join us to explore these critical issues and the future of ethical AI.
