Joy Buolamwini: Fighting algorithmic bias needs to be ‘a priority’

Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini gave a speech during the World Economic Forum this week on the need to fight AI bias.

Buolamwini is also an MIT Media Lab researcher and went somewhat viral for her TED Talk in 2016 titled ‘How I’m fighting bias in algorithms’.

Her latest speech included a presentation in which Buolamwini went over an analysis of the current popular facial recognition algorithms.

Here were the overall accuracy results when...

24 January 2019 | Ethics

Baidu sets record for AI patents in China with 2,368 filings

Baidu, often considered China’s equivalent of Google, has set a record for the number of AI-related patents filed in the country. The search engine giant has filed 2,368 AI patents in China according to PPAC’s Analysis on Artificial Intelligence Patents report. Baidu’s patents are followed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2036), Microsoft (1648), Tencent (1168), and Samsung (1047). The report notes Baidu started late in filing applications, but the company quickly exceeded...

5 December 2018 | China

AI robot CIMON makes its International Space Station debut

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been joined by an AI robot called CIMON. The current ISS commander, German astronaut Alexander Gerst, was first to speak with CIMON. Gerst said “Wake up, CIMON” which prompted the robot to respond “What can I do for you?” CIMON and Gerst’s first assignment was to perform a student-designed experiment with crystals. The robot, after recognising Gerst’s face and positioning itself autonomously, provided instructions on how to...

30 November 2018 | IBM

IBM releases tool for tackling scourge of bias in AI algorithms

Bias and prejudice remains a serious issue across many societies, take away human input and the result could be disastrous. IBM is stepping in with a tool it calls ‘Fairness 360’ which scans for signs of bias in algorithms to recommend adjustments on how to correct them. AIs already have a documented bias problem. It’s rarely intentional, but typically a result of their developers coming from the predominant part of each society. Take facial recognition software, for example. A 2010...

19 September 2018 | Ethics

IBM’s AI will debate until you learn your mistakes, feeble human

ibm project debater dan zafrir ai

IBM has unveiled Project Debater, a conversational artificial intelligence which can hold a debate using information from journals and newspaper articles. Project Debater began its training six years ago but it could only hold a debate with people two years ago. A demo was held for journalists at IBM’s offices in San Francisco where the AI debated issues relating to healthcare and the subsidisation of space exploration. The company didn’t give its AI an easy time either – it was...

19 June 2018 | IBM

IBM breaks records with deep learning advancement

ibm deep learning research

Software giant IBM has set new records with the company’s latest deep learning advancement. IBM has already cemented its place as a leader in AI with Watson and its deep learning capabilities. Deep learning is a subset of AI which mimics the human brain and is therefore a focus of researchers. Companies including Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, and Google have made advancements in deep learning, but IBM’s could be the most groundbreaking. Today’s deep learning systems can take days to...

8 August 2017 | Deep Learning