Coded Bias Screening and Discussion
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Johnson Center, Cinema
Today's society sits at the intersection of two crucial questions: What does it mean when artificial intelligence increasingly governs our liberties? And what are the consequences for the people AI is biased against?
When M.I.T. Media Lab researcher and Poet of Code Joy Buolamwini discovers that many facial recognition technologies do not accurately detect darker-skinned faces or classify the faces of women, she delves into an investigation of widespread bias in algorithms. As it turns out, artificial intelligence is not neutral, and women are leading the charge to ensure our civil rights are protected.
Coded Bias explores the fallout of Buolamwini’s discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the US to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.
After the screening of Coded Bias, a panel of Mason experts in computer science and artificial intelligence will share their perspectives and answer questions.
Post-Screening Panelists
Dr. Brittany Johnson-Matthews, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Volgenau School of Engineering
Dr. Sanmay Das, Professor, Department of Computer Science, Volgenau School of Engineering
Dr. Ron Mahabir, Assistant Professor, Computational & Data Science, College of Science
Dr. Kamaljeet Sanghera, Exec. Director, Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)
See the film's website here.
Pre-registration and face masks are required for all attendees.
To confirm you are cleared for an on-campus event, be prepared to show a green COVID health check (http://healthcheck.gmu.edu) email or message when entering the JC Cinema.
Please register for the event here.
Registration will be limited to 150 people. This screening is sponsored by the George Mason University pod of 500 Women Scientists and the Mason chapter of Sigma Xi.
For more information, contact sigmaxi@gmu.edu.
The George Mason University Chapter of Sigma Xi was chartered in 1971 and serves the Mason community and surrounding areas. The chapter received the Chapter Program of Excellence Award in 2013 and has been active in supporting documentary discussion events since 2019. Dr. Rebecca M. Jones is the chapter president.
If you're interested in this film, you might want to see Picture a Scientist, screening at Mason on November 4. Filmmakers Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattuck will be on hand to discuss the film and answer your questions.
For more information and registration, see our event site.
