Automating the Crowd: Workshop 2

Supported by: Cambridge Digital Humanities, Cambridge Big Data, Alan Turing Institute

Workshop organisers: Anne Alexander (CDH), Ann Borda (University of Melbourne), Siddharth Soni (Faculty of English, University of Cambridge), Kirstie Whitaker (Alan Turing Institute).

This workshop will create a space for reflection and discussion on the relationship between the work done using AI and the humans who make AI work, by weaving together the untold stories of the workers and volunteers whose effort powers AI systems with discussions of the impact of those systems on society.

In contrast to contributions to current academic and policy debates which focus on finding technical or legal solutions to discriminatory outcomes of AI systems, we emphasise the unequal social relationships which underpin automation. Through bringing together case studies of micro-work platforms, Machine Learning systems for image classification, citizen science projects and open source software communities, speakers will offer a broad perspective on the relationship between human and machines in AI systems.

Automating the Crowd 2 follows on from a workshop held at the Alan Turing Institute in January 2019 (https://www.turing.ac.uk/events/automating-crowd) providing an opportunity for a wider audience to engage with the themes highlighted in that event, while opening up a space to discuss new topics. The workshop series forms one of the activities underpinning the Automating the Crowd writing project, which will produce a collaboratively-written book aimed at a public audience interested in computing and artificial intelligence, and social,ethical and economic questions related to their development

This workshop will run from 11.30am – 3.30pm, and is free of charge and open to all.

Schedule:

Workshop Start

11:00 - 11:30 --- Registration

11:30 - 11:35 --- Introduction and welcome, Anne Alexander (University of Cambridge)

Session 1: Ethical crowds (Chair: Dr Ann Borda)

11:35 - 11:50 --- A review of the first Automating the Crowd workshop – (Ann Borda – University of Melbourne)

11:50 - 12:05 --- Multiscale Ethics: Bringing Social perspectives into AI ethics – (Dr Melanie Smallman – University College London)

12:05 - 12:20 --- Dr David Leslie (Ethics Fellow, Alan Turing Institute)

12:20 - 12:30 --- Q & A

12:30 - 13:00 --- Lunch

Session 2: Race, identity and power in automated systems (Chair: Anne Alexander)

13:00 - 13:15 --- Siddharth Soni (University of Cambridge)

13:15 - 13:30 --- Dr Bastian Greshake Tzovaras (Open Humans Foundation)

13:30 - 13:45 --- Prof Jessie Daniels (Data&Society) via Skype (TBC)

13:45 - 13:55 --- Q & A

13:55 - 14:15 --- Coffee, comfort break

Group Discussion (Chair: Kirstie Whitaker)

14:15 - 15:00 --- Small group discussions

15:00 - 15:15 --- Feedback from small group discussions

15:15 - 15:25 --- Open discussion

15:25 - 15:30 --- Close

If you need any financial assistance to attend this event, please contact Karen Herbane at admin@cdh.cam.ac.uk who will be able to discuss support options available such as reimbursement for travel or childcare costs.

We are also organising a public panel discussion 'Who are the real people behind artificial intelligence?', 5.30pm on 16 July. Please book here to reserve a place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-are-the-real-people-behind-articficial-intelligence-tickets-64655241568