New America Joins Coalition Offering Recommendations to New York’s Task Force on Automated Decision Systems

On Friday, August 17, New America’s National Network and Open Technology Institute joined 22 other organizations in a letter to New York City’s Automated Decision Systems Task Force, the first task force in the country to examine the role of algorithmic bias in municipal decision making. The task force is required by New York City’s Local Law 49 to make recommendations to the mayor and the public regarding the use of automated decision systems, often referred to as “artificial intelligence” systems. The group is reviewing how New York City uses algorithmic tools in its data collection and city management, and will develop a process for reviewing “automated decision systems through the lens of equity, fairness, and accountability.”

In the letter, coalition members urge that the task force’s actions include:

• engaging with domain experts and advocates while crafting recommendations;
• designing procedures that will ensure such experts are consulted whenever the city develops any automated decision system;
• recommending the creation of a permanent independent governmental body to help implement and enforce policies developed by the task force;
• crafting procedures to ensure transparency regarding algorithmic decisionmaking processes and to enable individuals to seek and obtain an explanation for automated decisions; and
• recommending that the city pass a law to allow individuals to file legal challenges against automated decision processes that are discriminatory.

The letter notes that the New York task force can serve as a national model for other cities that may consider such a task force.

The following quote can be attributed to Megan Garcia, Senior Fellow & Director of Growth, New America National Network:

“When residents of New York City register their businesses or pay local taxes, they deserve to know that the technology they use is fair and unbiased. This is an important opportunity for New York City to establish practices for ethical use of artificial intelligence that can serve as a model for cities around the country.”

The following quote can be attributed to Sharon Bradford Franklin, Director of Surveillance and Cybersecurity Policy, Open Technology Institute:

“As more jurisdictions turn to artificial intelligence tools, it is critical to recognize that these automated systems are only as good as their training data, and safeguards are needed to prevent the use of such tools to perpetuate bias. New York City’s Task Force should ensure that the city is a leader in using artificial intelligence responsibly, providing transparency to the public, and preventing the development of discriminatory systems.”