Dr. Joy Buolamwini
Dr. Joy Buolamwini, founder of the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL) and a digital activist.
With a master's degree in algorithmic bias and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Buolamwini's work focuses on the algorithmic bias in facial recognition systems, particularly its impact on people of color.
In 2018, she launched a project called Gender Shades, where she tested AI systems from IBM, Microsoft, and Face++, using a gender-balanced dataset of politicians, and her findings revealed significant disparities in accuracy based on gender and skin color, like,
- Light-skinned males had error rates under 1% and 7% for lighter-skinned females
- For darker-skinned males, the error rate was at 12% while darker-skinned females faced a 35% error rate in AI systems.
The project helped persuade these companies to step back from selling facial recognition technology to law enforcement in 2020 and maintain transparency in the development and utilization of facial recognition systems.
Her research, featured in over 40 countries and the 2020 Netflix documentary "Coded Bias," positions her as a global advocate for algorithmic justice. She's affiliated with organizations like the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, advising during US congressional hearings and serving on the Global Tech Panel.
Her achievements include:
- Time 100: The 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2023
- Awarded the DVF Leadership Award in 2023
- Named in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2019
- Listed in Fortune's 2019 list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders
- The MIT Technology Review “Innovators Under 35” list in 2018
- BBC’s “100 Women 2018" list
- Featured in Bloomberg 50 list in 2018
Bottom line: Joy’s efforts to raise awareness about AI's consequences and to promote ethical and equitable technology, with a focus on diversity and inclusion, are admirable. She was also part of a closed-door conference with Joe Biden to discuss AI's real-world harms, focusing on racial and gender bias.
Last Updated: May 2024