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Creating robust CO₂ scenarios for data-driven climate actionPhoto by David Aler on Unsplash / Sketch and montage by authorThe effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible around the world, from devastating wildfires to record-breaking heat waves and hurricanes. As a result, more and more people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help mitigate the impact of climate change. However, it can be hard to know where to start or how to make a meaningful difference. We introduce a new way of…

About the challenge of getting the fairness objective rightPhoto by Pawel Czerwinski on UnsplashThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) has given rise to new ethical and legal challenges. In my previous article I illustrated why removing the sensitive information from the training data does not promote fairness, but rather the opposite. This article is about identifying the most appropriate fairness definition for an AI application. The bespoken tool has been originally presented in a research paper I co-published on the…

Where do AI biases actually originate from?Photo by Lucas Benjamin on UnsplashOne challenge for systems powered with artificial intelligence (AI) is the biases that may be embedded in the algorithms. In my previous article, I explained the inner processes which take place when AI goes rogue. In the following, I will deepen the question where these biases actually come from — and how those sources are different from well-studied bias problems in conventional technologies.Machine learning (ML) algorithms identify patterns…

What exactly is going on in AI systems plagued by biases?Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on UnsplashThe problem of bias in artificial intelligence (AI) has made many negative headlines recently. The reports showed that AI systems have the potential to unintentionally discriminate against sensitive subgroups. For example, an AI-powered recruiting system by an international technology company was found to systematically favour male applicants over female ones. In this article, I will shed some light on the inner processes which…