USF Data Institute Launches Center for Applied Data Ethics
The Data Institute at the University of San Francisco launched the new Center for Applied Data Ethics (CADE) hosting the inaugural Data Ethics Seminar on Monday, August 19. Funded by a generous gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the organization of craigslist founder Craig Newmark, the Center will address issues surrounding the misuse of data through education, research, public policy and civil advocacy.
Rachel Thomas, Director of CADE, introduced Newmark, explaining to the crowd the primary areas of study the Center will focus on now. “We’re alarmed about misuses of data, particularly in three areas,” Thomas explained. “Racial and gender biases are coded and amplified in algorithms, surveillance and bad actors amplifying and incentivizing the spread of disinformation. Here at the Center, we’re working on these problems and creating positive solutions.”
The first year of curriculum will include a tech policy workshop, the data ethics seminar series and a data ethics certificate course, all of which will be open to the community at-large. Newmark discussed the need to address how to move forward ethically.
“I’ve been doing this a long time…we hadn’t considered the consequences,” Newmark said. “Tech decisions do affect people’s lives, and we have an increasing responsibility to consider the consequences of our work. I look at it as a way to remind people to treat people like you want to be treated. It’s incumbent on all of us to do something to address these ethical consequences.”
A research fellow at the Partnership on AI and an incoming tech fellow at the AI Now Institute, presenting speaker Deborah Raji shared her thoughts on “Actionable Auditing and Algorithmic Justice.” She highlighted the study Gender Shades, identifying classification bias issues in technology.
“Facial recognition has been making its way into every corner of life. There is an urgency to AI ethics and accountability work, because real people are being affected and we know that because they are suing and fighting back,” Raji explained before she illustrated the shortcomings in the accuracy of such technologies. “If you’re an engineer and you built a model with 68% accuracy, you’d be fired.”
Raji pointed out the importance of “paying attention to missing voices,” because the people affected are not part of the creation of or discussions around this technology.
“Ignorance is bliss, but it is irresponsible.”
For more information about the Data Institute and the Center for Applied Data Ethics: https://www.usfca.edu/data-institute
