Just about to kick off the keynotes at #ODSCWest - also to come today: job fair, hands-on workshops & networking. First speaker: @karpathy

Key element of #AI is that neural networks are code. It's just written by machines - #Code2point). Still need to be maintained, develop tests, refactoring and organization. #ODSC

Need to set up unit tests for #AI neural networks. How to meet tests, tune dataset, tune model, tune optimization. #ODSCWest

Need to set up unit tests for #AI neural networks. How to meet tests, tune dataset, tune model, tune optimization. Also continuous integration for models, architecture and data. Version control your data #ODSCWest

Now up: Paul Taylor of @IBMWatson - Getting #AI into enterprises

So far, 1 in 20 companies has intensively built #AI into their offerings and processes. #ODSCWest (64% see regulatory constrains as a problem to implementing) #GCDigital

Step 1 to doing #AI in business: collect, organize and analyze your data. #ODSCWest - big take-away: the format or structure or location of your data doesn't matter. It's all data. Use it. Get going. (#GCdigital - looking at you)

A digression: @karpathy showed a slide with @graphcoreai visualizations of neural networks that were just amazing. Example below. #AI #Datavisualization #ODSCWest

This work points towards #AI explainability - a critical element to #ethical use of #AI and #NeuralNetworks #ODSCWest #GCdigital @supergovernance @CorriveauNoel

I think someone just hacked the audio system at #ODSC...

IBM is working on platforms and engines to manage #AI models and assess bias in the frameworks. #ODSCWest. Big reveal: IBM would like people to use their platforms for #AI. #ODSCWest :/

Next up: @virginieeubanks on impact of #AI decision tools and impact on welfare, child protective services, homeless services. Observation: potential is there, but we are building #digital poor-houses (Automating Inequality)

Lots of historical detail on bias and focusing on the problem of pauperism (dependency on public benefits) than poverty (lack of access to social support).

Automating Austerity: IBM receives $1.3B from Indiana to automate millions of denials for public benefits, IBM fired, IBM sues. #ODSCWest

Majority of denials related to "failure to cooperate", most likely a failure in filling out the forms.

businessinsider.com/ap-judge-ibm-o…

Data sets on poverty, child welfare, criminality are huge - but over samples (almost exclusively) poor & working class families. Data shapes the models, resulting in predictions that reinforce the initial assumptions on which data collection was based. #AI #ODSC #SocialJustice

(This makes me think of @karpathy's thoughts on edge cases and how #AI has become more important to @Tesla code in identifying edge cases. Converse threat is that to remove human bias from systems requires a #digital surveillance state.) #DontWantThat #ODSCWest

Problems not just about tech, and neither are the solutions. Real solutions require bigger thinking. Choices about what matters to us. Last message to designers of tools: Stop designing in neutral (== for status quo). Need to design for the world we want to live in. #ODSCWest