Our weekly SRI Seminar Series welcomes Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a professor of computer science and data science at Brown University whose research focuses on algorithmic fairness and the impact of automated decision-making systems in society.
Venkatasubramanian recently finished an appointment as Assistant Director for Science and Justice in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he helped to co-author the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. Prior to Brown, Venkatasubramanian was at the University of Utah, where he received a National Science Foundation CAREER award for his work in the geometry of probability. His research on algorithmic fairness has received press coverage across North America and Europe, including NPR’s Science Friday, NBC, and CNN.
In this talk, Venkatasubramanian will dissect the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, discuss what its authors were trying to achieve, illustrate the difficult issues of technology and policy that had to be resolved, and expand on where this effort is going.
Talk title:
“The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Why, what, how, and what next?”
Abstract:
In October 2022, the White House released a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights—the first high-level articulation of the challenges associated with our rapid move to an “algorithmic society,” and a deep dive into how people should be protected from the harms that come with this move.
In this talk, I'll take apart the blueprint. I’ll discuss what we were trying to achieve, illustrate where we had to resolve difficult issues of technology and policy, and expand on where this effort is going.
About Suresh Venkatasubramanian
Suresh Venkatasubramanian is a professor of computer science and data science at Brown University. Venkatasubramanian’s background is in algorithms and computational geometry, as well as data mining and machine learning. His current research interests lie in algorithmic fairness, and more generally the impact of automated decision-making systems in society.
Venkatasubramanian recently finished a stint in the Biden-Harris administration, where he served as Assistant Director for Science and Justice in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In that capacity, he helped co-author the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.
Prior to Brown University, Venkatasubramanian was at the University of Utah, where as an assistant professor he was the John and Marva Warnock Assistant Professor and received a CAREER award from the NSF for his work in the geometry of probability. He has received a test-of-time award at ICDE 2017 for his work in privacy. His research on algorithmic fairness has received press coverage across North America and Europe, including NPR’s Science Friday, NBC, and CNN, as well as in other media outlets. He is a past member of the Computing Community Consortium Council of the CRA, spent 4 years (2017–2021) as a member of the board of the ACLU in Utah, and is a past member of New York City’s Failure to Appear Tool (FTA) Research Advisory Council, the Research Advisory Council for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania and the Utah State Auditor's Commission on protecting privacy and preventing discrimination.
About the SRI Seminar Series
The SRI Seminar Series brings together the Schwartz Reisman community and beyond for a robust exchange of ideas that advance scholarship at the intersection of technology and society. Seminars are led by a leading or emerging scholar and feature extensive discussion.
Each week, a featured speaker will present for 45 minutes, followed by an open discussion. Registered attendees will be emailed a Zoom link before the event begins. The event will be recorded and posted online.
Suresh Venkatasubramanian