Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency: (Counter)-Examples from Predictive Models in Criminal Justice

Colloquium

Thursday, October 1, 2020 - 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Zoom link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/89991732382

Speaker

Kristian Lum
Research Assistant Professor
Dept of Computer and Information Science
School of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Pennsylvania

Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency: (Counter)-Examples from Predictive Models in Criminal Justice

The need for fairness, accountability and transparency in computer models that make or inform decisions about people has become increasingly clear over the last several years. One application area where these topics are particularly important is criminal justice, as statistical models are being used to make or inform decisions that impact highly consequential decisions — those concerning an individual’s freedom. In this talk, I’ll highlight three threads of my own research into the use of machine learning and statistical models in criminal justice models that demonstrate the importance of careful attention to fairness, accountability and transparency. In particular, I’ll discuss how predictive policing has the potential to reinforce and amplify unfair policing practices of the past. I’ll also discuss some of the ways in which recidivism prediction models can fail to require the accountability and transparency necessary to prevent gaming.

Bio
Kristian Lum is research assistant professor in the CIS Department. Prior to coming to Penn, she was lead statistician at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group. She is widely known for her work on algorithmic fairness and predictive policing. Professor Lum has consulted for a number of city governments on policy issues and risk assessment, and she is a key organizer of the ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (ACM FAccT).

This colloquium is co-hosted by the Division of Statistics, and the AWM Student Chapter at Arizona State University.

Rhonda Olson

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

rhonda.olson@asu.edu

math.asu.edu/events