Belfast Turing Talk 2019

Dr Krishna Gummadi, will explain why machine (data-driven learning-based algorithmic) decision making is increasingly being used to assist or replace human decision making in a variety of domains ranging from banking (rating user credit) and recruiting (ranking applicants) to judiciary (profiling criminals) and journalism (recommending news-stories). Recently concerns have been raised about the potential for bias and unfairness in such algorithmic decisions. Against this background, in this talk, we will attempt to tackle the following foundational questions about man-machine decision making:

(a) How do machines learn to make biased or unfair decisions?

(b) How can we quantify (measure) and control (mitigate) bias or unfairness in machine decision making?

(c) Can machine decisions be engineered to help humans control (mitigate) bias or unfairness in their own decisions?

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OUR SPEAKERS

Headline Speaker: Dr Krishna Gummadi,

Insight Speaker: Austin Tanney

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AGENDA

17:30 - Registration

18:00 - Insight talk – Austin Tanney

18:15 - Turing talk – Dr Krishna Gummadi

19:30 - Drinks reception

20:00 - Close

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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Headline Speaker: Dr Krishna Gummadi

Krishna Gummadi is the head of the Networked Systems research group at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS) and a professor at the University of Saarland in Germany. His research interests lie in understanding and building social computing systems.  His current projects focus on enhancing fairness, accountability, transparency, and explainability of automated (particularly, data-driven and learning-based) decision making systems. His work has been recognized by numerous awards including the ACM SIGCOMM Test-of-Time. He also received an ERC Advanced Grant in 2017 to investigate "Foundations for Fair Social Computing".

Insight speaker: Austin Tanney

Austin has spent the last 20 years working in the commercial sector in a range of companies from start-ups to multinational corporations with a focus on Life Science, Healthcare and Technology.

He is currently the Head of Artificial Intelligence for Kainos, the Director of Straylight Consulting, the facilitator of the Northern Ireland Artificial Intelligence Collaborative Network and is the co-founder and organiser of the Artificial Intelligence NI community.

Prior to his prior roles, Austin was the Head of Life Science and Healthcare for Analytics Engines where he was responsible for the development and commercialisation of the company’s products and data solution for Life Science and Healthcare. During this time he also served as the Scientific and Technical manager on the EU H2020 MIDAS project focused on data integration and analytics for public health policy. Prior to this he held a number of roles in The Almac Group ranging from basic research and bioinformatics through product development to marketing and commercialisation of cutting edge technologies and services.