Behind the Screens: Discriminatory Algorithms
On Wednesday, October 27, 2021 from 4pm – 8pm PDT, the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) at CSULB is hosting its fourth annual Behind the Screens virtual symposium that focuses on the dark side of technology. This year’s theme is discriminatory algorithms. The symposium will pose the following core questions:
► What are examples of discriminatory algorithms? ◄
► How and why does discrimination exist in technology? ◄
► What can be done to counter discriminatory algorithms? ◄
Algorithms are everywhere. They determine your Google search results, your Instagram feed, and your Netflix suggestions. These actions are convenient and, for the most part, harmless. But what happens when algorithms shape your future by creating your credit score, deciding on your loan applications, and assessing your job or rental eligibility?
Algorithms are increasingly impacting all our lives, but some of us, particularly women, people of color, and people experiencing poverty, are made more vulnerable by algorithms. Behind the Screens: Discriminatory Algorithms identifies this pattern of technology discrimination and poses solutions to address it. Join us for a keynote lecture from Princeton’s Dr. Ruha Benjamin and an interactive algorithm audit led by Color Coded LA’s Chris Cuellar.
Event Agenda
4:00pm - 4:30pm Welcome with DJ CoolMiq
4:30pm - 5:00pm Introduction to Discriminatory Algorithms
5:00pm - 6:00pm Keynote Lecture by Dr. Ruha Benjamin
6:00pm - 7:15pm Design Sprint and Algorithmic Audit led by Chris Cuellar and team
7:15pm - 7:55pm Panel with Behnaz Farahi and Ana Trueba de Buen
7:55pm - 8:00pm Closing Remarks
Featuring
Behind the Screens is an annual fall virtual symposium that explores the dark side of technology. The symposium features content conversations and a design sprint to innovate for those made most vulnerable due to technology. This year’s theme is discriminatory algorithms.
A design sprint is an interactive, collaborative thinking environment for attendees to apply what they’ve learned to innovate solutions to a dark side of technology problem for specific user groups. Because this year’s theme is discriminatory algorithms, our design sprint is working together to perform an algorithmic audit. Don’t worry. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to participate.
A discriminatory algorithm is a set of instructions, rules, or calculations designed to solve problems that intentionally or unintentionally negatively impacts a portion of the population.
According to Brown, Davidovic, and Hasan (2021) an algorithmic audit includes “assessments of the algorithm’s negative impact on the rights and interests of stakeholders, with a corresponding identification of situations and/or features of the algorithm that give rise to these negative impacts.” https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951720983865
Behind the Screens is free and open to the public. Anyone and everyone willing to be respectful of the topic and our participants is welcome to attend.
This is the link to register: https://bit.ly/REG_BTS2021
No. The keynote speaker will precede the design sprint so that you can use what you’ve learned to innovate solutions, but even if you missed it, you are still welcome to join a breakout room and participate. Come and go as your schedule allows.
Bring yourself and an open mind. Logging in on a laptop or tablet will make it easier to participate in the breakout rooms than calling in via phone, but the tech is certainly not required.
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