'Coded Bias' a diversityfilmseries documentary

Sundance-acclaimed documentary Coded Bias, directed by Shalini Kantayya, opens with computer scientist Joy Buolamwini describing her excitement in working inside MIT's Media Lab and having the opportunity to experiment with facial-recognition technology. In particular, she was looking for ways it might inspire users. One idea she had was to install the technology into a mirror, enabling it to reshape a reflected image back to the viewer.

However, when Ms. Buolamwini began working with the software, she found it didn't work well. The software wasn't detecting her face in the computer's camera. After running dozens of experiments with different images, Joy hit upon the idea of placing a white mask over her face. As a Black woman, she found that her skin color was not being recognized by the software. Moreover, the technology didn't track women's faces in general, no matter what skin-tone.

As programmed by primarily white, male, computer scientists, artificial intelligence technology has been embedded with the bias of its programmers.

"Coded Bias serves as both a wake-up call to invasive practices the public doesn't yet realize are being implemented, and a call to action" -Valerie Complex, Variety

Stream Coded Bias on Netflix, or free with link March 18-27. Register at diversityfilmseries.org

Then, join us for what promises to be a riveting discussion with Matt Cagle, Technology and Civil Liberties Attorney at the ACLU, as we learn about current uses of AI - and what we can do as informed citizens to protect our privacy and civil rights in a world that is reliant on Artificial Intelligence. He will speak and answers questions from 5-6 PM on Thursday, March 24, on Zoom. Register at diversityfilmseries.org

FREE; rsvp and get free link to Q & A post film discussion at website http://diversityfilmseries.org