Code for Atlanta Discusses Mitigating ML and AI Bias at Showcase
In recognition of the Day of the Programmer, we teamed up with one of our student partners, Code for Atlanta, to host an informative evening filled with a special presentation and conversations related to mitigating bias within machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Showcase, which is an interactive community gathering highlighting members’ interesting work, invited locals to The Clubhouse for some complimentary food, beverages, and a chance to network with like-minded individuals before diving deeper into the topic at hand.
As attendees, including graphic designers, real estate professionals, software engineers, and coding novices trickled into the 9,000 square foot facility, we asked them “What brought you to the event?” The following were just a few of the responses captured:
1. Being involved
2. The Meetup website
3. Eliminating bias in data
4. Code for ATL, Meetup, and free food
5. The universe and wanting to help the Atlanta community any way I can
6. Build my portfolio, meet folks, and give back to Atlanta
7. Curiosity and interest in meeting new people with similar hobbies
8. Community and working on some cool projects
9. Interest in being involved with Code for Atlanta
10. Leveraging tech for good
The session had members and guests discussing the benefits of AI/ML technologies and how they have transformed society. They also reviewed case studies that have created disparate outcomes. Other topics included:
How the data used in AI/ML tools can create biased results in society
How open data is used across the world through organizations like OpenStreetMap
Why it is important to have proper gender and racial representation present when creating AI/ML tools
The evening wrapped with continued connection-making and conversations around how people could come together to solve problems for their community.
What civic-minded initiative would you want to participate in? Let us know in the comments below.