Schedule: http://www.bu.edu/hic/2017/12/08/mellon-sawyer-seminar-march/

Ethics and law are implicated in efforts to make the design and implementation of algorithms accountable. Philosophical questions arise at the start: how do the notions of responsibility, jurisdiction, accountability, bias, abuse, and authority figure in a new world of technology, where mixed responsibility among a variety of actors, as well as evolution of systems of information over time, is the new normal? If a set of parameters are used, e.g., in sentencing guidelines, what are we to say and do if a) a longstanding underpowered group suffers differentially or if b) a newly emergent effected group, not recognized as such before, comes before our eyes? How are data on, e.g., gender inequity in pay to be aggregated across a wide range of institutions without incurring legal liability on the part of institutions that house that aggregation and/or violating privacy norms? How is responsibility to be negotiated, even…