Current Activities
Overview: As data science and AI become a major force in science and in society, increasingly complex analytical pipelines working with poorly understood data pose significant issues of bias, inclusion and fairness. MIDAS is mobilizing our researchers to promote ethical data science and AI. Our approaches include raising awareness through research discussions and public events, and enabling the development and dissemination of technical solutions through collaboration with our faculty researchers. An example of such events is the annual Future Leaders Summit. An example of technical solution development is FIDES (Framework for Integrative Data Equity Systems).
Who will benefit: All U-M researchers who conduct related research and those who want to examine the issues of bias, inclusion and fairness in their research.
Coordinators: H. V. Jagadish (Director, MIDAS | Professor, Computer Science and Engineering) and Jing Liu (Executive Director, MIDAS)
Overview: MIDAS seeks to establish best practices among the community by complementing technical resources with reproducible methodologies and processes. We seek to build upon the research best practices and tools that our researchers develop to make data-intensive research more reproducible, build a central resource including a collection of methods and tools and a showcase (demonstration) and develop training activities.
Who will benefit: U-M and external researchers who want to make their research methodologies accessible and reproducible will find our resources useful. Researchers who develop tools and processes for reproducible research could amplify their voice through our collaboration.
Coordinators: Jing Liu (Executive Director, MIDAS) and Daniel Alexander (Reproducible Research Specialist)
Overview: The term “data feminism” was coined by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren Klein as the title of their 2020 book, which provides a framework for data scientists to address issues in data justice, equity and fairness through feminism principles and approaches. D’Ignazio and Klein’s keynote speech at the MIDAS 2020 Symposium caused a sensation on campus and many of our researchers responded to the call to action. MIDAS is working with other units to develop research on data justice based on feminism principles, as well as events to gather a critical mass around this theme.
Who will benefit: Researchers whose work is related to data justice and who are interested in seeking collaboration.
Coordinator: H.V. Jagadish (Director, MIDAS | Professor, Computer Science and Engineering) and Jing Liu (Executive Director, MIDAS)
Overview: MIDAS researchers and students carry out projects to support the data strategy of government and community partners, including the City of Detroit, the Native American tribal nations and other organizations in Michigan. MIDAS coordinates and defines such projects together with our partners, and connects cutting-edge research and ethical data science approaches for positive societal impact.
Who will benefit: Researchers who would like to increase the impact of their research; trainees who would like to gain real-world experience; government and community partners.
Coordinator: Jing Liu (Executive Director, MIDAS)
Overview: Humans constantly grapple with how new technological advances fit into our moral and ethical framework. As the intensive data use and AI tools become essential in almost every sector, every organization in our society, and every aspect of our daily lives, we all need to think about how we adapt to the co-existence of human and AI, and how these new technologies can support, instead of harm, our values. MIDAS convenes these forums to discuss emerging issues such as AI tools in the classroom and in creative endeavors, and catalyze stronger connections between research and policy.
Who Will Benefit: All data science and AI researchers and users of data and AI products who wonder how such technologies are shaping our work, our lives and our society.
Coordinator: Josh Pasek (Associate Professor, Communications and Media)
See Faculty and Researchers specializing in Responsible Research
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