AI and Algorithms in Government Conference | Institution for Social and Policy Studies

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Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to transform how government agencies and public authorities do their work. AI and data-driven algorithms are increasingly being used to inform important decisions, from the allocation of food stamps and the granting of parole to the selection of tax audit targets and the deployment pattern of police patrols. This mini-conference brings together scholars studying the use of AI and algorithmic decision-making in high-stakes policy domains from different perspectives. Together, we aim to promote understanding of the current role this technology plays in government, shed light on the promise and challenges involved in such uses, and provide a platform for discussing how to unlock the potential of AI algorithms to improve public policies while maintaining democratic values and human rights.

PLEASE REGISTER AT THIS LINK TO ATTEND

Schedule for Friday, April 19, 2024

time	activity
8:30 AM	Light Breakfast in ISPS Room A001, 77 Prospect Street
9:00 AM	Welcome and Introduction, ISPS Room A002, 77 Prospect Street Shir Raviv, Postdoctoral Researcher at Columbia University, and non-resident fellow in the Democratic Innovations Program at ISPS
9:10 AM	Session 1: Current Applications and Implications Kirk Bansak, University of California, Berkeley “Refugee Integration and Algorithmic Decision-Making” Virginia Eubanks, University at Albany, SUNY “Automating Care: Artificial Intelligence and the Labors of Love” Kaylyn Jackson Schiff, Purdue University “Institutional Factors Driving Citizen Perceptions of AI in Goverment: Evidence from a Survey Experiment on Policing” Moderator: Seulki Lee-Geiller, Yale University
10:30 AM	Coffee Break
11:00 AM	Session 2: AI in Criminal Justice Melody Huang, Harvard University “Does AI Help Humans Make Better Decisions? A Methodological Framework for Experimental Evaluation” Dasha Pruss, Harvard University “Ghosting the Machine: Judicial Resistance to a Rick Assessment Instrument” Eddie Yang, University of California, San Diego “Automated Repression: Ethnic Discrimination in AI-assisted Criminal Sentencing in China” Moderator: Daniel S. Schiff, Purdue University
12:20 PM	Lunch, ISPS Room A001
1:40 PM	Session 3: The Politics of Using AI Algorithms in Government Shir Raviv, Columbia University “When Do Citizens Resist the Use of AI Algorithms in Public Policy? Theory and Evidence” Daniel S. Schiff, Purdue University “The Politics of AI: Will Bipartisanship Last or Is Polarization Inevitable?” Baobao Zhang, Syracuse University “Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence: Evidence from a Survey of Machine Learning Researchers” Moderator: Matthias Haslberger, University of St. Gallen
3:00 PM	Coffee Break
3:30 PM	Roundtable: The Promise and Challenges of Ensuring Responsible AI in Government Hélène Landemore, Yale University (via Zoom) Eliza Oak, Yale University Savannah Thais, Columbia University Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Brown University Baobao Zhang, Syracuse University Moderator: Alan Gerber, Yale University
5:00 PM	Closing Remarks
5:20 PM	Conference Adjourns