Panel Discussion: Data Ethics in the Stories We Tell

Author: N/A; Publisher: ParsonsTKO; Publication Year: 2021. The following video discusses how data storytelling is essential for any good data scientist. This makes it even more important for data scientists to be aware of privacy concerns, and avoid bias, and misinterpretation. This video includes panelists that all have expertise in the data ethics and regarding public relations. For example, if you publish a…

We Can’t Dodge the Data Ethics Gap Anymore

Author: Winston Thomas; Publisher: CDO Trends; Publication Year: 2022. The following article starts by questioning who the authority on data ethics will be, especially as cultural and legal definitions vary by region and nation. Jay Upchurch, the CIO of SAS, says concerns about how to address and solve data ethics problems led the company to create its Data Ethics Practice (DEP). The DEP is a cross-functional global team to…

Enterprise Data Ethics Framework

Author: N/A; Publisher: The University of Queensland; Publication Year: N/A. The following article is written for the University of Queensland in Australia, but the ethical principles outlined in the document are best practice for anyone who collects, maintains, and utilizes data. The first principle states that data usage must be defined, and a cost-benefit analysis must be done for individuals affected by the data. Likewise…

The Apple Card Didn’t ‘See’ Gender—and That’s the Problem

Author: Will Knight; Publisher: Wired; Publication Year: 2019. The following article touches on the idea of bias “proxies,” like address information as a proxy for race. It talks about how the Apple Card was offering lower credit limits for women compared to men even though gender was specifically excluded as a variable. The author argues that we should be including those specific variables so that the…

Bias Isn’t the Only Problem with Credit Scores—and No, AI Can’t Help

Author: Will Douglas Heaven; Publisher: MIT Technology Review; Publication Year: 2021. The following article discusses how it is a known fact that biased algorithms affect automatic decision-making processes. To fix this problem, many researchers and start-ups are working to build fairer algorithms. The author, however, claims that building a fair algorithm is not enough because low-income and minority groups represent a very small…

Big Data Ethics and Politics: Toward New Understandings

Author: Wenhong Chen, Anabel Quan-Haase; Publisher: Social Science Computer Review; Publication Year: 2018. The following article addresses new issues created by big data, such as biases, subjectivities, and forms of oppression. They define 4 major aspects of big data ethics and politics: 1). Potential biases in big data collection and interpretation, 2). Community and citizen concerns of big data (mis)use in public life and for journalistic purposes, 3). Media…

Discriminating Data

Author: Wendy Hui Kyong Chun; Publisher: MIT Press; Publication Year: 2021. The following book discusses the innate bias that comes from dirty data and how removing indicators of race will not remove bias from artificial intelligence. The author explains several concepts including: alternative algorithms, defaults, and interdisciplinary coalitions to foster more ethical/democratic data…

The Data Equity Framework

Author: N/A; Publisher: We All Count; Publication Year: N/A. The following article discusses how anytime data is involved, decisions are being made and those decisions have consequences. Equity needs to be at the forefront, and this 7-step framework is a systematic approach to doing so. Each step has equity-impacting decision points that must be evaluated. These steps are 1). Funding (this is the stage that…

Data Ethics & Mitigating Algorithmic Bias

Author: Vivek Katial; Publisher: Multitudes; Publication Year: N/A. The following article starts by introducing the profound effect that algorithms and, in particular, decisions from algorithms have on our life today. The author goes on to define algorithmic bias as “the ability of algorithms to systematically and repeatedly produce outcomes that benefit one particular group over another.” The article then goes on to state…