An Inclusive Workshop to Develop Best Practices and Guidelines for Fairness, Ethics, Accountability, and Transparency in Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

Modern societies rely extensively on computing technology, and there is a need to identify and/or develop strategies for addressing fairness, ethics, accountability, and transparency (FEAT) in computing-based research, practice, and educational efforts. This workshop will bring together diverse researchers with FEAT-related expertise to explore best practices and integrate disparate approaches. The computing community will benefit from the identification of systematic methods and effective approaches to incorporate FEAT considerations into the design and implementation of computing artifacts. The research team will convene diverse experts with research and practice experience addressing fairness, ethics, accountability, and transparency in computing. These experts will form a working group during a 2-day workshop. The working group will include different disciplines, demographics, and institutional types, including large research-intensive universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, teaching institutions, and liberal arts colleges. The workshop will bring academics and members of industry together along with government representatives, which is vitally important given the role and impact that each sector can have on the future of computing. Relevant insights will also be gained from bringing together policy scholars, lawyers, statisticians, sociologists, and philosophers along with the more traditional sources of expertise in the computing realm (such as computer scientists and engineers). The group will examine best practices and seek to articulate strategies for addressing FEAT in computing-based research and education. This includes identifying methodological approaches that researchers could employ to facilitate FEAT, instituting guidelines on what problem definition practices work best, and highlighting best-practices for data access and data inclusion. Results from this workshop will be used to compile a detailed report with supporting materials, a set of guidelines and best practices for addressing FEAT in computing-based research and educational efforts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.