A research project from the Ford School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) program was selected by the Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS) as part of its 2024 Propelling Original Data Science grants to accelerate responsible AI research ecosystems.
The project led by STPP director Shobita Parthasarathy, along with managing director Molly Kleinman, and faculty affiliate Ben Green will develop and evaluate the University-Based Equity-Centered (UBEC) approach to generate AI research.
“As AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous, touching everything from housing to employment to healthcare, it is vital that we find ways to center the knowledge and needs of marginalized communities in the design process,” said Kleinman. “Our community partnerships work has shown that there are many types of expertise necessary to build equitable, effective AI, and that including multiple perspectives benefits everyone.”
Researchers will partner with local community organizations and government agencies so that community knowledge drives the technology development process. This starts with identifying what solutions they seek from AI. The multidisciplinary research team will produce technology that is collaboratively designed with community partners. The project will also develop best practices for how to build AI solutions that genuinely support communities and train technologists at U-M and beyond to follow these practices.
The project was recently cited in a White House fact sheet from the Office of Science and Technology Policy as an example of public interest technology. Read it here: "Biden-Harris Administration Announces Commitments from Across Technology Ecosystem including Nearly $100 Million to Advance Public Interest Technology."
Nineteen University of Michigan research teams were selected to share $909,716 for projects that fuse data science and artificial intelligence to spearhead transformations in health care, environmental sustainability, and several other key areas.
