Can you prove an algorithm is fair? (EiM 4)

Speaker: Maurice Chiodo, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk
Series: C.U. Ethics in Mathematics Society (CUEiMS)
Note: Note this seminar is in MR15, not MR14.

Mathematicians design the algorithms that run the world, deciding what people read, who they date, and when then can get a loan, often done under the auspice of increasing efficiency and removing human subjectivity. The scale, and speed, at which such algorithms are deployed means that their impact, and potential for harm, can swell far beyond original intentions. This lecture looks at how mathematicians can understand the ways in which their algorithms rank, predict, suggest, and rate things for and about people and society, and how this might lead to harm. It shows how they can see the subjectivity of their work as a strength when interpreted correctly, as well as how to avoid any large-scale runaway behaviour and subsequent harm.

This is the fourth seminar of the 2026 Introduction to Ethics in Mathematics seminar series hosted by the CU Ethics in Mathematics Society. The lecture will be followed by discussion.