New clustering method considers causal fairness to avoid bias.
problem Clustering algorithms can unintentionally propagate unfair disparities.
method Integrates causal fairness metrics into clustering algorithms.
result Demonstrates efficacy on datasets with known unfair biases.
Proposes causal modeling for intersectional fairness in rankings.
problem Fairness in rankings, especially intersectional fairness.
method Causal modeling approach for intersectional fairness, flexible ranking computation.
result Experimental evaluation shows the approach's effectiveness under different assumptions.
A recent trend of fair machine learning is to define fairness as causality-based notions which concern the causal connection between protected attributes and decisions. However, one common challenge of all causality-based fairness notions is identifiability, i.e., whether they can be uniquely measured from observationa…
This work analyzes fairness-accuracy trade-offs using causal methods.
problem Discriminatory behavior in machine learning systems based on sensitive characteristics.
method Introduces path-specific excess loss (PSEL) and causal fairness/utility ratio to quantify trade-offs.
result Shows how enforcing fairness constraints can reduce discrimination while increasing loss.
FairTrade uses variational inference to create fair predictions in causal models.
problem Creating fair predictions in machine learning models with causal reasoning.
method FairTrade uses variational inference to account for unobserved confounders and integrates fairness constraints on causal paths.
result Demonstrates the effectiveness of FairTrade in creating fair predictions in both simulated and real-world datasets.
Framework achieves fairness in predictions using partially known causal graph over clusters of variables.
problem Achieving fairness in algorithmic decisions when causal graph knowledge is limited.
method Leverages a causal graph over clusters of variables to train a prediction model, reducing interventional distribution discrepancies.
result Framework strikes a better balance between fairness and accuracy than existing approaches under limited causal graph knowledge.
New fairness criteria for algorithmic recourse actions that consider causal relationships.
problem Fairness of recourse actions in algorithmic classification.
method Proposes two new fairness criteria at group and individual levels, explicitly accounting for causal relationships.
result Fairness of recourse is complementary to fairness of prediction, and can be enforced by altering the classifier.
The paper examines challenges in achieving fair predictions using causal counterfactuals.
problem Achieving fair predictions using causal counterfactuals in fairness settings.
method Analyzes the limitations of causal models in fairness settings and the challenges of selecting counterfactuals.
result Causal models that capture counterfactuals are outside the class commonly considered in fairness literature.
The paper connects counterfactual fairness to robust prediction and group fairness using causal context.
problem The challenge of ensuring fairness in AI systems when counterfactuals cannot be directly observed.
method Using causal context to bridge counterfactual fairness, robust prediction, and group fairness.
result Counterfactual fairness is equivalent to group fairness metrics in specific contexts.
Introduces causal fairness analysis to address unfairness in AI decisions.
problem Fairness issues in AI decision-making.
method Link observed disparities to underlying causal mechanisms.
result Develops Fairness Map and Fairness Cookbook.
DECAF generates fair synthetic data by embedding causal relationships.
problem Generating fair synthetic data from biased training data.
method DECAF uses a GAN with a structural causal model to embed causal relationships and debias synthetic data.
result DECAF successfully removes bias and generates high-quality synthetic data.
Work proposes CLAIRE to achieve counterfactual fairness from observational data without causal models.
problem Achieving counterfactual fairness from observational data without prior causal models.
method Proposes CLAIRE, a representation learning framework based on counterfactual data augmentation and an invariant penalty.
result CLAIRE effectively mitigates biases from the sensitive attribute and improves counterfactual fairness and prediction performance.
Machine fairness is impossible to achieve fully due to historical biases.
problem Machine learning models inherit biases from historical data, making it impossible to satisfy fairness metrics simultaneously.
method Presented a causal perspective to the impossibility theorem of fairness.
result It is impossible to satisfy fairness metrics like demographic parity, equal opportunity, and equalized odds simultaneously.
Develops causal framework for fair survival analysis in healthcare.
problem Fairness in survival analysis for high-stakes domains like healthcare.
method Causal framework using graphical models, conditional survival function, and Causal Reduction Theorem.
result Decomposes disparities in survival into direct, indirect, and spurious pathways.
FAIR-NN finds invariant variables for causal inference across diverse environments.
problem Nonparametric invariance and causal learning in regression models with varying joint distributions.
method FAIR-NN framework using adversarial optimization and neural networks.
result FAIR-NN identifies invariant variables and quasi-causal variables under minimal conditions.
Introduces principal fairness for fair decision-making.
problem Discrimination among similarly affected individuals.
method Uses principal stratification from causal inference.
result Explicitly accounts for decision impacts, not just protected attributes.
Study fairness in intervention to maximize outcomes.
problem Fairness in intervention on a given node.
method Counterfactual estimation with partial causal model knowledge.
result Theoretical guarantees on error probability and effectiveness of algorithm.
New causal approach resolves fairness and accuracy trade-offs.
problem Fairness and predictive performance are often at odds.
method Causal pre-processing methods to approximate the FiND world.
result Pre-processing resolves both fairness and accuracy trade-offs.
New method detects bias in AI models that generate data.
problem Detecting bias in AI models that generate data.
method Formalized causal fairness in generative AI, derived new decomposition results, established identification conditions, and introduced efficient estimators.
result Demonstrated the value of new methodology in analyzing bias in large language models.
Commentary on Cheng's fairness comparison between tests and AI.
problem Distinction between equality and equity in fairness.
method Systematic comparison of test fairness and algorithmic fairness.
result Importance of causality in fairness research.
The paper proposes Tier Balancing for dynamic fairness in decision-making.
problem Achieving long-term fairness in decision-making processes.
method Causal modeling with DAGs to investigate dynamic fairness.
result Tier Balancing is a more natural approach to achieve long-term fairness, capturing latent causal factors.
VACA models graph data for causal inference without hidden confounders.
problem Causal inference in observational data with hidden confounders.
method Variational graph autoencoders for structural causal models.
result Accurately approximates interventional and counterfactual distributions.
The paper proposes a method to identify fair features in ML data integration.
problem Ensuring fairness in machine learning data integration.
method Causal interventional fairness, conditional independence tests, group testing.
result The proposed algorithm identifies fair features without biasing the dataset.
The paper develops fair machine learning models using causal path-specific effects.
problem Fairness in machine learning models under causal constraints.
method Lagrange multiplier approach for infinite-dimensional functional estimation, closed-form solutions for constrained optimization.
result Theoretical and flexible semiparametric estimation strategies for fair predictions.
Statistical tests for fairness in admissions data reveal hidden patterns.
problem Simpson's paradox in admissions data hides true gender bias.
method Introduces a new statistical test based on Pearl's instrumental-variable inequalities.
result Statistical tests for fairness coincide with causal notions for the Berkeley admissions case.
Counterfactual fairness not equivalent to demographic parity, finds study.
problem Equivalence between causal and probabilistic concepts in fairness metrics.
method Close examination of recent claim about counterfactual fairness.
result Counterfactual fairness is not equivalent to demographic parity.
How do we learn from biased data? Historical datasets often reflect historical prejudices; sensitive or protected attributes may affect the observed treatments and outcomes. Classification algorithms tasked with predicting outcomes accurately from these datasets tend to replicate these biases. We advocate a causal mode…
A new method uses LLMs to discover causal pathways that affect fairness in machine learning.
problem Discovering fairness-relevant causal pathways in the presence of noise and confounding.
method Hybrid LLM-guided causal discovery framework combining active learning and dynamic scoring.
result LLM-guided methods, including the proposed active, dynamically scored variant, outperform baselines in recovering fairness-relevant structure under noisy conditions.
The paper introduces a new algorithm for fair decision-making in outcome control tasks.
problem Fair and equitable automated decision-making in outcome control tasks.
method Causal analysis and optimization to ensure fairness in decision-making.
result Developed an algorithm for maximizing Y while ensuring causal fairness. New causal analysis reconciles predictive and statistical fairness.
problem Mutual exclusivity of predictive and statistical fairness notions.
method Derive a new causal decomposition formula for fairness measures.
result Predictive and statistical fairness are complementary, not mutually exclusive.
Paper proposes a modified fairness constraint to address shortcomings of counterfactual fairness.
problem Counterfactual fairness is not a necessary condition for algorithmic fairness.
method Analyzed hypothetical scenario and explicated discrimination to develop causal relevance fairness.
result Causal relevance fairness is a modified constraint that circumvents shortcomings of counterfactual fairness.
We offer a graphical interpretation of unfairness in a dataset as the presence of an unfair causal path in the causal Bayesian network representing the data-generation mechanism. We use this viewpoint to revisit the recent debate surrounding the COMPAS pretrial risk assessment tool and, more generally, to point out tha…
fairadapt uses causal inference to mitigate algorithmic bias in data pre-processing.
problem Mitigating algorithmic bias in machine learning predictions.
method Causal graphical model and observed data to address counterfactual questions.
result The method can help eliminate discrimination and justify fair decisions.
New framework for fairness in continuous protected attributes.
problem Inherited biases in AI predictions with continuous protected attributes.
method Formalizes SP and PP through path-specific partial derivatives, introduces a fair tuning algorithm.
result Existence and construction of fair predictors that satisfy SP along not-allowed paths and PP along allowed paths.
Survey on combining causal models with deep generative models for improved explainability and fairness.
problem Deep generative models lack explainability, induce spurious correlations, and poor out-of-distribution extrapolation.
method Structural causal models (SCMs) combined with deep generative models to address shortcomings.
result Causal generative models offer robustness, fairness, and interpretability.
This paper uses LLMs for causal discovery with active learning and dynamic scoring to improve efficiency and fairness.
problem High computational demands and complexities of large-scale data in causal discovery.
method Metadata-based approach, BFS strategy, Active Learning, Dynamic Scoring Mechanism, LLM confidence scores.
result Significantly reduced number of queries and improved efficiency in causal graph construction.
New framework for interpreting disaggregated fairness evaluations using causal models.
problem Misinterpretation of disaggregated fairness evaluations due to data representativeness and selection bias.
method Causal graphical models to characterize fairness properties and metric stability under different data generating processes.
result Disaggregated evaluations are unreliable without explicit assumptions regarding bias mechanisms.
Building machine learning models that are fair with respect to an unprivileged group is a topical problem. Modern fairness-aware algorithms often ignore causal effects and enforce fairness through modifications applicable to only a subset of machine learning models. In this work, we propose a new definition of fairness…
In many application areas---lending, education, and online recommenders, for example---fairness and equity concerns emerge when a machine learning system interacts with a dynamically changing environment to produce both immediate and long-term effects for individuals and demographic groups. We discuss causal directed a…
EXOC framework uses auxiliary variables for counterfactual fairness in machine learning.
problem Balancing fairness and predictive accuracy in models with sensitive attributes.
method EXOC framework uses auxiliary variables to define an auxiliary node and a control node for counterfactual fairness.
result EXOC framework outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in achieving counterfactual fairness.
Study reveals limitations of fair representation learning methods and cautions against their use in performance-sensitive tasks.
problem Limitations of fair representation learning methods in performance-sensitive tasks.
method Using causal reasoning, the study defines and formalizes different sources of dataset bias and examines the performance of fair representation learning under distribution shifts.
result Fundamental limitations on fair representation learning when evaluation data is drawn from the same distribution as training data.
Proposes a method to identify causal relationships using background knowledge.
problem Identifying causal relationships in the presence of background knowledge.
method Learning local structure using all types of causal background knowledge (direct, non-ancestral, ancestral). Criteria for identifying causal relationships based on local structure.
result Effective and efficient method for local structure learning and causal relationship identification.
New method mitigates bias without sensitive data using causal graph and variational autoencoder.
problem Lack of fairness strategies when sensitive attributes are not collected.
method SRCVAE framework based on causal graph for inferring a proxy sensitive attribute.
result Significant improvements in fairness metrics over existing methods.
Causal approaches to fairness have seen substantial recent interest, both from the machine learning community and from wider parties interested in ethical prediction algorithms. In no small part, this has been due to the fact that causal models allow one to simultaneously leverage data and expert knowledge to remove di…
Fairness of classification and regression has received much attention recently and various, partially non-compatible, criteria have been proposed. The fairness criteria can be enforced for a given classifier or, alternatively, the data can be adapated to ensure that every classifier trained on the data will adhere to d…
Local discovery method uncovers direct unfairness in complex systems.
problem Identifying causal pathways of unfairness in complex domains.
method Local discovery for direct discrimination (LD3) method.
result LD3 returns a valid adjustment set (VAS) for assessing unfairness.
Proposes new method to handle hidden confounders in causal mediation analysis.
problem Break down total effect of treatment on outcome through different causal pathways.
method Combines proxy strategies and deep learning to uncover latent variables and estimate causal effects.
result Validated effectiveness of the proposed method for causal fairness analysis.
Proposes a fair machine learning framework robust to distribution shifts without causal graph knowledge.
problem Fairness issues in machine learning models under distribution shifts.
method Stochastic distributionally robust optimization with Exponential Renyi Mutual Information (ERMI) fairness measure.
result First stochastic framework for fair learning robust to distribution shifts without causal graph knowledge.