The Bigot in the Machine: Bias in Algorithmic Systems. A presentation by Barbara Fister

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We are living in an “age of algorithms.” Vast quantities of information are collected, sorted, shared, combined, and acted on by proprietary black boxes. These systems use machine learning to build models and make predictions from data sets that may be out of date, incomplete, and biased. We will explore the ways bias creeps into information systems, take a look at how “big data,” artificial intelligence and machine learning often amplify bias unwittingly, and consider how these systems can be deliberately exploited by actors for whom bias is a feature, not a bug. Finally, we’ll discuss ways we can work with our communities to create a more fair and just information environment.

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About the speaker

Barbara Fister is a writer and Professor Emerita at Gustavus Adolphus College where she coordinated the library’s instruction program, implemented a digital scholarship program, and participated in collection development, reference services, and shared management of the library. She was the 2019 Scholar-in-Residence with Project Information Literacy and is currently working on a book about the salience of library values in the age of algorithms.