AI Researcher | Rhodes Scholar | Best-Selling Author of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines available at unmasking.ai.
Greater Boston
118K followers
500+ connections
About
Dr. Joy Buolamwini is the best-selling author of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines. She is an AI researcher, artist, and advocate. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League to create a world with more equitable and accountable technology. Her TED Featured Talk on algorithmic bias has over 1.7 million views. Her MIT thesis methodology uncovered large racial and gender bias in AI services from companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon. Her research has been covered in over 40 countries, and as a renowned international speaker she has championed the need for algorithmic justice at the World Economic Forum and the United Nations. She serves on the Global Tech Panel convened by the vice president of European Commission to advise world leaders and technology executives on ways to reduce the harms of A.I.
As a creative science communicator, she has written op-eds on the impact of artificial intelligence for publications like TIME Magazine and New York Times. Her spoken word visual audit "AI, Ain't I A Woman?" which shows AI failures on the faces of iconic women like Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and Serena Williams as well as the Coded Gaze short have been part of exhibitions ranging from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to the Barbican Centre, UK. A Rhodes Scholar and Fulbright Fellow, Joy has been named to notable lists including Bloomberg 50, Tech Review 35 under 35, , Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech (youngest), and Forbes 30 under 30. She holds a PhD from MIT, two masters degrees from Oxford University and MIT; and a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Fortune Magazine named her to their 2019 list of world's greatest leaders describing her as "the conscience of the A.I. Revolution."
Experience
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Founder
Code4Rights
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Co-founder, Chief Technology Officer
Techturized, Inc
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Georgia Institute of Technology
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Education
Skills
Publications
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Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification
Proceedings of Machine Learning Research
Recent studies demonstrate that machine learning algorithms can discriminate based on classes like race and gender. In this work, we present an approach to evaluate bias present in automated facial analysis algorithms and datasets with respect to phenotypic subgroups. Using the dermatologist approved Fitzpatrick Skin Type classification system, we characterize the gender and skin type distribution of two facial analysis benchmarks, IJB-A and Adience. We find that these datasets are…
Recent studies demonstrate that machine learning algorithms can discriminate based on classes like race and gender. In this work, we present an approach to evaluate bias present in automated facial analysis algorithms and datasets with respect to phenotypic subgroups. Using the dermatologist approved Fitzpatrick Skin Type classification system, we characterize the gender and skin type distribution of two facial analysis benchmarks, IJB-A and Adience. We find that these datasets are overwhelmingly composed of lighter-skinned subjects (79.6% for IJB-A and 86.2% for Adience) and introduce a new facial analysis dataset which is balanced by gender and skin type. We evaluate 3 commercial gender classification systems using our dataset and show that darker-skinned females are the most misclassified group (with error rates of up to 34.7%). The maximum error rate for lighter-skinned males is 0.8%. The substantial disparities in the accuracy of classifying darker females, lighter females, darker males, and lighter males in gender classification systems require urgent attention if commercial companies are to build genuinely fair, transparent and accountable facial analysis algorithms.
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A Novel Electronic Data Collection System for Large-Scale Surveys of Neglected Tropical Diseases
PLOS ONE
Large cross-sectional household surveys are common for measuring indicators of neglected tropical disease control programs. As an alternative to standard paper-based data collection, we utilized novel paperless technology to collect data electronically from over 12,000 households in Ethiopia.
Large cross-sectional household surveys are common for measuring indicators of neglected tropical disease control programs. As an alternative to standard paper-based data collection, we utilized novel…Large cross-sectional household surveys are common for measuring indicators of neglected tropical disease control programs. As an alternative to standard paper-based data collection, we utilized novel paperless technology to collect data electronically from over 12,000 households in Ethiopia.
Large cross-sectional household surveys are common for measuring indicators of neglected tropical disease control programs. As an alternative to standard paper-based data collection, we utilized novel paperless technology to collect data electronically from over 12,000 households in Ethiopia.
Methodology
Conducting a needs assessment and pilot testing allowed the design to specifically match the functionality required for surveys. Electronic data collection using an Android-based technology was suitable for a large-scale health survey, saved time, provided more accurate geo-coordinates, and was preferred by recorders over standard paper-based questionnaires.
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Projects
Honors & Awards
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Beloved Community Award Technological Innovation
The King Center
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TIME 100 Next Honoree
TIME
Of the launch of the TIME 100 Next list, TIME Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal writes, "When we first published our TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people 15 years ago, it was dominated by individuals who rose through traditional power structures: heads of state, CEOs of public companies, actors from big-budget blockbusters, leaders of global foundations. What has been striking about more recent editions is the growing number of individuals who did not need an establishment to…
Of the launch of the TIME 100 Next list, TIME Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal writes, "When we first published our TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people 15 years ago, it was dominated by individuals who rose through traditional power structures: heads of state, CEOs of public companies, actors from big-budget blockbusters, leaders of global foundations. What has been striking about more recent editions is the growing number of individuals who did not need an establishment to command international attention—people like the Parkland, Fla., students (in 2018) and Greta Thunberg (in 2019). TIME has always been a barometer of influence—and the nature of influence is changing.” http://bit.ly/2NIj1XI
https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718893/joy-buolamwini/ -
Fortune Magazine The World's 50 Greatest Leaders 2019
Fortune
"Our sixth annual leaders list is the home of the brave. These thinkers, speakers, and doers make bold choices and take big risks—and move others to do the same."- http://fortune.com/longform/the-worlds-50-greatest-leaders-2019/
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Forbes 30 Under 30 2019 Honoree Enterprise Technology
Forbes
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Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech
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Forbes list of the Top Women in Technology shines a light on 50 incredible women from across the United States who are breaking through glass ceilings in their sectors and the tech industry overall.
The 50 selected female leaders come from a wide range of sectors, including cybersecurity, enterprise and consumer technology, gaming, artificial intelligence, aerospace, and biotech, among others. Honorees have maintained a solid foothold in the STEM industries, which have been traditionally…Forbes list of the Top Women in Technology shines a light on 50 incredible women from across the United States who are breaking through glass ceilings in their sectors and the tech industry overall.
The 50 selected female leaders come from a wide range of sectors, including cybersecurity, enterprise and consumer technology, gaming, artificial intelligence, aerospace, and biotech, among others. Honorees have maintained a solid foothold in the STEM industries, which have been traditionally dominated by men. All 50 of this year’s trailblazers actively participate in a tech-focused business or field using skills they obtained through formal education, self-study, and personal experience. -
Bloomberg 50: People Who Shaped Global Business
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https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2018-bloomberg-50/#the-ai-investigators
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MIT Tech Review 35 under 35 2018 Honoree
MIT Technology Review
https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2018/pioneer/joy-buolamwini/
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Search For Hidden Figures Grand Prize Winner
21 Century Fox and Pepsico
The Search For Hidden Figures contest was inspired by 20th Century Fox’s Hidden Figures, which stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe as three female African American mathematicians who play crucial roles in the Space Race of the 1960s. Applicants to the contest answered essay questions and provided video submissions about the importance of STEM to themselves and the rest of the world, competing for a total of $200,000 in scholarships including $50,000 to each of the grand…
The Search For Hidden Figures contest was inspired by 20th Century Fox’s Hidden Figures, which stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe as three female African American mathematicians who play crucial roles in the Space Race of the 1960s. Applicants to the contest answered essay questions and provided video submissions about the importance of STEM to themselves and the rest of the world, competing for a total of $200,000 in scholarships including $50,000 to each of the grand prize winners and $10,000 to ten runners-up.
http://searchforhiddenfigures.com/
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NCWIT Collegiate Award Winner
Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Qualcomm
The NCWIT Collegiate Award, sponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Qualcomm, honors the outstanding technical accomplishments of college women of any year of study. Conferred upon up to six winners annually, the Award recognizes technical projects that demonstrate a high level of creativity and potential societal impact.
Project - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), "Bloomertech Smart Bra Mobile Application"
This mobile application project allows women to visualize and…The NCWIT Collegiate Award, sponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Qualcomm, honors the outstanding technical accomplishments of college women of any year of study. Conferred upon up to six winners annually, the Award recognizes technical projects that demonstrate a high level of creativity and potential societal impact.
Project - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), "Bloomertech Smart Bra Mobile Application"
This mobile application project allows women to visualize and monitor their heart health across a range of physical activities, giving them the insight and information to detect early warning signs of cardiovascular problems. -
Young Africans Committed to Excellence (YACE Fellow)
Face2Face Africa
The Face2face Africa Young Africans Committed to Excellence (YACE) Fellowship program was created to recognize, celebrate and establish a strong network of the most promising, talented and transcending African youths of today. We search far and wide each year to find and award some of the most accomplished professionals in tech, innovation and social entrepreneurship. Serving as the official kickoff event to the Pan-African Weekend, the YACE Master Class provides an engaging platform for the…
The Face2face Africa Young Africans Committed to Excellence (YACE) Fellowship program was created to recognize, celebrate and establish a strong network of the most promising, talented and transcending African youths of today. We search far and wide each year to find and award some of the most accomplished professionals in tech, innovation and social entrepreneurship. Serving as the official kickoff event to the Pan-African Weekend, the YACE Master Class provides an engaging platform for the YACE fellows to discuss their work, achievements, and vision for Africa in front of an audience.
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Rhodes Scholar
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Fulbright Fellow
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Google Anita Borg Scholar
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Astronaut Scholar
Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
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Stamps Scholar
Stamps Family Charitable Foundation
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