Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2023

Document Type

Thesis (Undergraduate)

Department

Computer Science

First Advisor

Charles Palmer

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are increasingly used as predictive tools with real-world applications occurring in diverse fields ranging from the healthcare industry to the criminal justice system. While AI often offers efficient and relatively effective solutions, there are growing concerns regarding AI’s role in decision-making processes due to potential biases embedded in these models. In many cases, bias in AI models can produce unfair outcomes, perpetuate social inequities, and undermine the trustworthiness of AI systems. This thesis explores this problem and spotlights certain biased models that are currently utilized in real-world situations. One such example is a highly biased AI algorithm, COMPAS, that is used in the criminal justice system to assign recidivism scores to criminal defendants and impact their sentences. While there is, unfortunately, no current method to create entirely unbiased AI algorithms, this paper details techniques that have been applied to mitigate the presence of bias in AI models.

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