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Incubating Feminist AI: Call for Expressions of Interest Algorithmic Decision Making Systems

WHO

Interdisciplinary Teams of Social Scientist, Community Groups, Technologists & Municipal Governments

WHERE

LAC, MENA and SEAsia

WHEN

CALL IS OPEN 12 January – 14 February 2023 

Call for Expressions of Interest for Algorithmic Decision Making (deadline 7 February 2023) Deadline Extended to 14 February 2023

Overview

This call focuses on Algorithmic Decision Making Systems (ADMs) in LAC, SEA and MENA either for those whose municipalities and countries currently use them and those whose municipalities and countries are currently contemplating their use. The call  is led by the <A+> Alliance, a network of technologists, academics & activists working together to ensure new algorithmic systems do not embed already biased systems into our collective futures, and whose mission is to explore new models that  reach beyond mitigation of bias to correct  for historic inequity to help ensure a more fair, just and inclusive collective future for all.  

In the words of  Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights: “The starting point should be on how existing or even expanded welfare budgets could be transformed through technology to ensure a higher standard of living for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, to devise new ways of caring for those who have been left behind, and more effective techniques for addressing the needs of those who are struggling to enter or re-enter the labour market. That would be the real digital welfare state revolution” (Report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, 2019). 

No one has mapped how AI, or Automated/Algorithmic Decision-Making  systems in developing countries function, and how AI and ADMs can be harnessed to deliver equality outcomes and new opportunities (instead of inhibition of rights and amplification of unequal power relations)  Our proposal is to springboard from the well-established ‘what’ of describing potential harm and ‘why’ harms exist socially or technically, immediately to ‘how’  course correcting future harms could happen, and most urgently ‘how’ new data, algorithms, models, policies + systems could be researched, then prototyped, and piloted.

Call for Expressions of Interest Papers:

Proof of Concept for NEW models of ADMs delivery that could address:

  • Social Service Allocation
    • Housing lotteries
    • School allocation
    • Aid to families with children
    • Pension allocation
  • Sector Specific Innovation
    • Health
    • Financial credit scoring
    • Energy sharing
    • Commons or collective models of governance
 
 Call for Expression of Interest Policies:
 
Automated Decision Making Policy based on 21st century social science best practices:
  • Procurement processes
  • Government transparency laws
  • Algorithmic auditing
  • Open government and community based co-creation of ADMs,etc.
 

Call for Expression of Interest PROTOTYPES:

Prototypes: Past the proof of concept phase and ready to be built and deployed
These prototypes will provide a NEW model of ADMs delivery and have a strong interdisciplinary team inclusive of a social scientist, technologist, community organizers, and a collaboration with or proposed with a municipality to test the prototype.

 
The Call for Expressions of Interest is part of the f<a+i>r feminist AI research network, supported by IDRC, a three-year initiative (2021-2024) to research and create new algorithmic and social science models that enhance intersection with core public policy agendas in the Global South. 
 
The project a) calls for expressions of interest (current – Phase 1); b) develop a new model for publication as a research paper (Phase 2); c) prototype the new actionable model described in the paper (Phase 3); and d) pilot (Phase 4) for applied feminist AI research and solutions to ensure that technology is co-created with problem definition and solution design of affected communities, and meets or exceeds the needs of the historically marginalized and vulnerable, especially women and girls.
 
Join us in our search for new just, effective, and intersectional feminist models that use this urgent moment of movement to the digital realm to re-conceive and transform social services and policy so that they are inclusive and fit for 21st century governance and improved quality of life.

 

How To Apply

Please email all the following application materials (see Annex 2 of the call) in one folder labelled with the project name, with the subject line of the email written as: Expression of Interest: ‘Project Name’  to info(at)aplusalliance(dot)com

  • 2 Co-Principal Investigators with Terms & Conditions statement 
  • Full Call For Expression of Interest application
  • Relevant attachments 
  • Team Information
 

Should you have any questions, please contact info(at)aplusalliance(dot)com until 24 January 2023 when the deadline for questions closes. 7 February 2023 is the deadline for Expressions of Interest (The deadline has been extended to 14 February 2023)

Key Dates

12 January

Launch of the call for Expression of Interest

24 January

Deadline for questions

2 February

Answers to questions posted

7 February

Deadline for Expressions of Interest (Deadline Extended to 14 February 2023)

7- 14 February

Regional Hubs read and shorten list of applicants

14-21  February

Narrow down the longlist of applicants and begin meetings with potential groups

21-28 February

Second week of meetings with applicants and discussions with Global Leadership team

28 February – 06 March

Shortlist proposals to the Scientific Advisory Committee (max 6 per region)

6 March 

Scientific Advisory Committee meets to discuss and select applicants

7 March

Provisional meeting if needed

10 March

Eligible teams will be notified

14 and 15 March 

Select groups from Phase 1 both selected and semi-finalists will be invited to attend an online co-creation workshop dates, to be determined in January and to be held between 20-25 March. Workshops will be mandatory for CO PIs and teams for selected groups.

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