Announcements

• Please open and read the abstracts for these two research papers: study 1, study 2. Please then try to read both papers while you’re waiting for class to begin.
• Last chance: please add your SSI Statistic to this spreadsheet. This counts towards your participation grade.
• Plutopia Poll Results: We will likely attend the talk on Tuesday, pending space. I will email you on Monday to confirm. (14 respondents, >65% yes)
• Reminder: Please Keep Up with Assignments/Blog. They will help you with your midterm. Any midterm questions?
• Reminder on absences: please check with Deanna Rayment (Tandon Office of Student Affairs) if you would like guidance on unexcused (non-documented) absences. The NYU Office of Student Affairs (or other official NYU staff group) must contact me directly on your behalf in order for me to take your situation into account. Otherwise, be prepared to do extra credit (1500 word essay per unexcused absence) or take a reduction in your grade. Please refer to the class syllabus for further details.

Agenda

• Keywords Scribe, Marker Person
• Medical Bias Media
• SSI Stats for Background Research
• Checking in: interviews, midterms
• SSI Review. Links:
  • NYU Non-Discrimination Policy
  • NYU Equal Opportunity
  • NYS Division of Human Rights: Human Rights Law Flyer
  • EEOC.gov: Equal Opportunity is the Law Flyer
  • Codes of Federal Regulation
    • 124.103: Who is Socially Disadvantaged?
    • 124.104: Who is Economically Disadvantaged?
• Links for Today’s Discussion:
  • TOILET TECH: Diversity and Design Chapter 13: ExpLOOsion
  • SEARCH TECH: Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism (Library E-book link here) 
  • SOCIAL TECH:
    • study 1, study 2
    • New Yorker: AI “Gaydar” Study and the Dangers of Big Data
    • Guardian article on AI Gaydar
  • HOME TECH:
    • Gendering of AI
    • Microsoft’s Twitterbot (New Yorker)

Assignments

• Blog Post, due Tuesday 3/3: Does Google adequately address issues of oppression and fairness in its search and machine learning?
  • Read the Introduction to Algorithms of Oppression by Umoja Safiya.
  • Watch/Listen to this 1-hour webinar on Fairness in Machine Learning by Tulsee Doshi, product lead for Google’s ML fairness effort. (Press “Login” when you arrive to the landing page. You will be logged in with Prof. D’s email.)
  • Discuss on your blog: Do you think Google, particularly its Fairness in Machine learning team, has adequately addressed the concerns that Umoja Safiya raises? (Keep in mind that the searches shown in the introduction to Algorithms of Oppression were conducted several years ago.)
• Extra Credit: Building on the class discussion of AI virtual assistants, both real and fictional, please read and blog your response to these Home Tech articles: Gendering of AI and Microsoft’s Twitterbot (New Yorker).

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Announcements: External

See Session 9 for more external announcements.

• The World’s Finest Science-Themed Peeps Diorama Contest
• Holistic Empathy: Elevating User Research (NYU)
• Tandon Women in Stem Summit
• March 7: NYU School of Data. Student / Scholarship / Hardship Ticket
• Emoti-Con NYC Youth Digital Media & Technology Challenge is looking for judges for their big May 9th event. If you’re interested in working with diverse youth and technology, take a look.
• March 9 deadline: Handel Architects is an industry-leading architecture firm of over 200 designers and dreamers across four offices. Come solve interesting problems, as part of a PAID, 12-week summer internship, starting in June. The goal of this program is to perform research and development focused on building or improving in-house software tools and exploring emerging technologies. Topics include working with web-based API’s, digital modelling, parametric design, virtual/augmented reality, machine learning, 3D printing, and digital fabrication.
• AfroTech is the presenter of one of the largest multicultural tech conferences in the United States, bringing together engineers, venture capitalists, recruiters, technologists, and culture enthusiasts from all over the world. AfroTech brings leaders in technology and business together to exchange ideas and build a strong black tech community. AfroTech 2020 will take place November 12 – 15 in Oakland CA.  Over 10,000 participants are expected.  AfroTech’s call for participation is open until April 17th.