Algorithmic Justice League 139d ago

As part of the Coded Bias World Tour, Dr. Joy Buolamwini returned to MIT, where she earned her PhD, for a post-screening conversation reflecting on the journey behind the film and the research that sparked it. This full-circle event brings Coded Bias back to the place where many of its foundational questions first emerged. Following the screening, Dr. Buolamwini discusses the moments that moved her from building AI systems to publicly challenging them, the personal and professional risks of doing so, and why “fit for purpose” must come before deploying technology at scale. Edrian Liao, a PhD student at MIT, moderates the conversation which makes this a real full circle moment. The evening also celebrated the broader Coded Bias community, with acknowledgements of collaborators and supporters including Timnit Gebru, Cathy O'Neil, former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, and host Mitch Resnick of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group. Following the screening of the documentary, Dr. Buolamwini traces the ethical turning points described in her book "Unmasking AI", including the Aspire Mirror project, the myth of “apolitical” technology, and the personal and professional risks of confronting bias in AI. The conversation opens into a wide-ranging audience Q&A on mental health prediction, hiring algorithms, sports automation, facial recognition, surveillance, and public accountability. The discussion centers on a core question: before deploying AI at scale, who decides whether it is fit for purpose, and for whom?