Bringing Meaning into Technology Deployment: MIT’s SERC Symposium Highlights Ethical Computing Research

MIT’s Schwarzman College of Computing recently hosted the MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium, showcasing pioneering research that integrates social, ethical, and technical expertise. The event featured 15 TED Talk-style presentations from MIT faculty, all supported by seed grants from the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) initiative. These grants, awarded after a highly competitive selection process from nearly 70 applications, aim to foster bold and creative thinking in the realm of ethical computing.

Nikos Trichakis, co-associate dean of SERC, emphasized the initiative’s commitment to driving progress at the intersection of computing, ethics, and society. Caspar Hare, also co-associate dean of SERC, highlighted the symposium as a collective judgment on the most exciting work being done at MIT in the social and ethical responsibilities of computing.

The full-day symposium, organized around themes like responsible health-care technology, AI governance, technology in society, and digital inclusion, featured presentations on algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines. A poster session also showcased projects by SERC Scholars.

Key Highlights from the Symposium:

Making the Kidney Transplant System Fairer: Dimitris Bertsimas presented his work on an algorithm that significantly reduces the time required for kidney transplant allocation from six hours to just 14 seconds. This algorithm, developed in collaboration with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), considers factors like geographic location and mortality to improve the efficiency and fairness of the transplant system.

The Ethics of AI-Generated Social Media Content: Adam Berinsky and Gabrielle Péloquin-Skulski explored the implications of disclosing AI-generated content on social media. Their research indicates that the impact of labels on AI-generated posts varies depending on the specific wording used, suggesting that labels combining both process and veracity might be more effective at countering misinformation.

Using AI to Increase Civil Discourse Online: Lily Tsai discussed the development of DELiberation.io, an AI-integrated platform designed to enhance online deliberation and promote civil discourse. The platform aims to address the challenges of information overload and incivility in online spaces. Tsai emphasized the importance of assessing the downstream outcomes of technology development to ensure positive societal impact.

A Public Think Tank that Considers All Aspects of AI: Catherine D’Ignazio and Nikko Stevens created Liberatory AI, a public think tank examining the corporate AI landscape, identifying dead ends, and proposing ways forward. This initiative brings together researchers from diverse disciplines to contest the status quo and promote larger societal transformation in the context of AI development.

The MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium underscored the importance of integrating ethical considerations into technology deployment and highlighted the diverse range of research efforts aimed at addressing the social and ethical challenges of computing.