Dr. Timnit Gebru to Deliver a Masterclass on Ethical AI at Relativity Fest

Renowned ethical AI activist will deconstruct algorithmic bias for Fest attendees

CHICAGO, Oct. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a global legal and compliance technology company, today announced that Dr. Timnit Gebru, an ethical AI researcher and activist, will be the closing keynote speaker at Relativity Fest on October 28, 1:45-2:30 p.m. CT. During the session, Gebru will deliver a masterclass on ethical AI, which will deconstruct and define algorithmic bias. The session will detail how bias enters AI applications, the detrimental effects it has on society and the ways in which organizations and individuals can collectively push for a more ethical approach to AI. The session will conclude with a discussion on ethical AI with Relativity's CEO, Mike Gamson.

Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR). Previously, she co-led the ethical AI team at one of the world's largest technology companies before she was famously fired over publishing a paper that highlighted bias in AI. In 2022, TIME featured her on its annual list of the World's 100 Most Influential People.

"At Relativity we recognize that ethical AI is critical," said Gamson. "Together with our community, we need to listen to the experts, share ideas, learn about how bias can enter AI models and the measures we can take to help mitigate it. I look forward to learning more from Timnit about how we as a society can do more to hold ourselves accountable to both understand the problems that bias in AI can cause and identify opportunities to improve."

Data constantly changes in size and shape, creating challenges for legal and compliance teams when piecing together accurate narratives. Today, AI is an integral component in solving problems within data and constructing said narratives, but its ethical use demands a deeper understanding of the bias that may be baked into its very foundation.

"While there is still so much work to be done, I'm glad to see more conversations about the need for ethical AI and the algorithmic bias that can plague the technology industry," said Gebru. "I'm eager to have this conversation at Relativity Fest and discuss why mitigating bias should be at the forefront of AI-centered strategies."

Despite many studies demonstrating the prevalence of algorithmic bias across existing AI technologies today, it is difficult to reason how AI models become biased in the first place. A Brookings Institution report offers two possible reasons: historical human biases and incomplete or unrepresentative training data.

"Often influenced by historical human biases, algorithmic bias can negatively impact decision-making in a variety of contexts, and there is an opportunity for us to have more open dialogue on how we can work together to mitigate those potential biases and the problems that arise from them," added Gamson. "It's our hope that governments, technologists, regulators, activists and AI researchers can find common ground and purpose in building a future for AI in which accountability, transparency and ethics are as important as the performance and utility of AI."

Relativity Fest 2022 will be hosted in Chicago and virtually from October 26-28, 2022; Gebru's session will take place on October 28 at 1:45 p.m. CT at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. For those who have not yet registered and are interested in attending the event in person or virtually, registration is available here. The full agenda with detailed information on individual sessions is available at https://relativityfest.com/agenda/.

Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS product RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. The AI-powered communication surveillance product, Relativity Trace proactively detects regulatory misconduct like insider trading, collusion and other non-compliant behavior. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organizations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors, including the U.S. Department of Justice and 198 of the Am Law 200. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for 10 consecutive years. Please contact Relativity at [email protected] or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.

SOURCE Relativity