Ben Green - “Algorithmic Governance: The Promises and Perils of Government Algorithms”

Ben Green is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Michigan Society of Fellows, Asst. Prof. Public Policy, Univ. of Michigan.
Abstract: Governments increasingly use algorithms (such as machine learning predictions) to distribute resources and make important decisions. Although these algorithms are often hailed for their ability to improve public policy implementation, they also raise significant concerns related to racial oppression, surveillance, inequality, technocracy, and privatization. While some government algorithms demonstrate an ability to advance important public policy goals, others-such as predictive policing, facial recognition, and welfare fraud detection-exacerbate already unjust policies and institutions. The issues with these tools cannot be boiled down to straightforward engineering challenges. This talk will explore some of the epistemic, political, and institutional factors that lead to algorithmic harms and will introduce an agenda for developing and regulating government algorithms in the interest of equity and social justice.