New York City convened a task force in 2017 to “develop recommendations that will provide a framework for the use of and policy around ADS [automated decision systems].” The report is now out, and has been immediately criticized:
“It’s a waste, really,” says Meredith Whittaker, co-founder of the AI Now Institute and a member of the task force. “This is a sad precedent.” . . .
Ultimately, she says, the report, penned by city officials, “reflects the city’s view and disappointingly fails to leave out a lot of the dissenting views of task force members.” Members of the task force were given presentations on automated systems that Whittaker says “felt more like pitches or endorsements.” Efforts to make specific policy changes, like developing informational cards on algorithms, were scrapped, she says.
NYC’s algorithm task force was ‘a waste,’ member says
The report itself makes three fairly pointless recommendations: (1) build capacity for an equitable, effective, and responsible approach to the City’s ADS; (2) broaden public discussion on ADS; and (3) formalize ADS management functions.
Someone should really start thinking about this!
The report’s summary contains an acknowledgement that, “we did not reach consensus on every potentially relevant issue . . . .”