Extends ML fairness to handle minority groups over time.
problem Limitations of existing fairness criteria.
method Performative Distributionally Robust Optimization.
result Improves fairness for minority groups over time.
Fairness in machine learning has predominantly been studied in static classification settings without concern for how decisions change the underlying population over time. Conventional wisdom suggests that fairness criteria promote the long-term well-being of those groups they aim to protect. We study how static fairne…
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.
This paper introduces efficient approximations for fairness criteria in regression models.
problem Measuring fairness in real-valued outcomes (regression settings) is computationally challenging.
method Fast approximations of mutual information for independence, separation, and sufficiency fairness criteria.
result The method achieves state-of-the-art accuracy/fairness tradeoffs in real-world datasets.
FADE framework improves fairness and accuracy in ensemble learning.
problem Improving fairness in existing models without sacrificing accuracy.
method Flexible fair ensemble learning framework targeting multiple fairness criteria.
result Multiple unfairness measures can be minimized simultaneously with little impact on accuracy.
Paper proposes a unified sparsity-based framework for evaluating algorithmic fairness.
problem Ensuring fairness in machine learning across diverse domains.
method Unified sparsity-based framework for evaluating fairness.
result Demonstrates broad applicability and effectiveness of the framework.
New methods ensure fairness in noisy protected groups.
problem Noisy or biased protected group information complicates fairness audits.
method Robust optimization techniques to enforce fairness on true groups.
result Robust approaches achieve better true group fairness guarantees.
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.
Selective regression allows abstention to improve fairness criteria.
problem Selective regression can exacerbate disparities between subgroups.
method Proposes new fairness criteria and two approaches to mitigate performance disparity.
result Proposed fairness criteria ensures performance improvement for every subgroup with reduced coverage.
The use of machine learning systems to support decision making in healthcare raises questions as to what extent these systems may introduce or exacerbate disparities in care for historically underrepresented and mistreated groups, due to biases implicitly embedded in observational data in electronic health records. To …
Method preserves quantiles to ensure fairness in data adaptation.
problem Ensuring fairness in classification and regression models.
method Quantile preservation in causal structural equation models.
result Fairness guarantees for classifiers trained on adapted data.
Recent work on fairness in machine learning has focused on various statistical discrimination criteria and how they trade off. Most of these criteria are observational: They depend only on the joint distribution of predictor, protected attribute, features, and outcome. While convenient to work with, observational crite…
Paper introduces fair GLMs with convex penalty for equalizing GLM outcomes.
problem Achieving fairness in GLMs for practical use.
method Two fairness criteria based on GLM outcomes/log-likelihoods, achieved via a convex penalty on linear components.
result The fair GLM estimator is efficient and can handle various response variables.
This paper examines fairness and arbitrariness in bias mitigation methods.
problem Understanding how different bias mitigation strategies affect individual predictions and whether they introduce arbitrariness.
method FRAME framework to evaluate bias mitigation through five dimensions: Impact Size, Change Direction, Decision Rates, Affected Subpopulations, and Neglected Subpopulations.
result Significant differences in the behaviors of debiasing methods were exhibited, highlighting the limitations of current fairness criteria and the inherent arbitrariness in the debiasing process.
A novel multi-objective optimization framework improves insurance pricing fairness.
problem Exacerbated trade-offs between competing fairness criteria in insurance pricing using machine learning.
method Proposes a novel multi-objective optimization framework using NSGA-II to jointly optimize accuracy and fairness criteria.
result Consistently achieves a balanced compromise between accuracy and fairness, outperforming single-model approaches.
New model considers unfairness complaints to ensure multiple fairness criteria.
problem Ensuring fairness in systems that may conflict with each other.
method Data-driven model guided by unfairness complaints, supports multiple fairness criteria, and considers their incompatibilities. Stochastic and adversarial settings analyzed with efficient algorithms.
result Efficient algorithms for both stochastic and adversarial settings with competitive guarantees.
The paper explores fairness in credit scoring using machine learning.
problem The lack of research on fair machine learning in credit scoring.
method Revisits statistical fairness criteria, catalogs algorithmic options, and empirically compares fairness processors.
result Multiple fairness criteria can be approximately satisfied at once, and fair processors deliver a good balance between profit and fairness.
Fair representations are a powerful tool for establishing criteria like statistical parity, proxy non-discrimination, and equality of opportunity in learned models. Existing techniques for learning these representations are typically model-agnostic, as they preprocess the original data such that the output satisfies so…
Fairness in algorithmic decision-making processes is attracting increasing concern. When an algorithm is applied to human-related decision-making an estimator solely optimizing its predictive power can learn biases on the existing data, which motivates us the notion of fairness in machine learning. while several differ…
We propose definitions of fairness in machine learning and artificial intelligence systems that are informed by the framework of intersectionality, a critical lens arising from the Humanities literature which analyzes how interlocking systems of power and oppression affect individuals along overlapping dimensions inclu…
Paper addresses fairness issues in error-prone outcomes.
problem Fairness in error-prone outcomes.
method Combining fair ML methods and measurement models.
result Using a latent variable model removes detected unfairness.
Machine Learning (ML) models trained on data from multiple demographic groups can inherit representation disparity (Hashimoto et al., 2018) that may exist in the data: the model may be less favorable to groups contributing less to the training process; this in turn can degrade population retention in these groups over …
Fairmetrics evaluates fairness in ML models for specific groups.
problem Ensuring models do not produce biased outcomes for specific groups.
method User-friendly R package for evaluating group-based fairness criteria.
result Rigorous evaluation of multiple fairness metrics.
Recidivism prediction instruments (RPI's) provide decision makers with an assessment of the likelihood that a criminal defendant will reoffend at a future point in time. While such instruments are gaining increasing popularity across the country, their use is attracting tremendous controversy. Much of the controversy c…
Machine learning algorithms are now frequently used in sensitive contexts that substantially affect the course of human lives, such as credit lending or criminal justice. This is driven by the idea that `objective' machines base their decisions solely on facts and remain unaffected by human cognitive biases, discrimina…
Abstract reviews mathematical fairness in machine learning.
problem Ensuring fairness in machine learning models.
method Independence-based approach to fairness definitions and methodologies.
result Optimal fair classifiers and predictors under equality of odds are derived.
DeepFair improves fairness in recommender systems without sacrificing accuracy.
problem Lack of bias management in recommender systems leads to unfair recommendations for minority groups.
method Deep Learning based Collaborative Filtering algorithm that balances fairness and accuracy.
result It is possible to make fair recommendations without losing significant accuracy.
We clarify what fairness guarantees we can and cannot expect to follow from unconstrained machine learning. Specifically, we characterize when unconstrained learning on its own implies group calibration, that is, the outcome variable is conditionally independent of group membership given the score. We show that under r…
The paper reconciles two conflicting fairness criteria in algorithmic risk scores.
problem How to reconcile calibration and equal error rates in algorithmic risk scores.
method Derive necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of calibrated scores achieving equal error rates, then present an algorithm to find the most accurate score subject to both criteria.
result The method can eliminate error disparities while maintaining calibration and improve profit in credit lending.
Increasingly, discrimination by algorithms is perceived as a societal and legal problem. As a response, a number of criteria for implementing algorithmic fairness in machine learning have been developed in the literature. This paper proposes the Continuous Fairness Algorithm (CFAθ) which enables a continuous interpol…
Maximal correlation framework improves fairness in machine learning algorithms.
problem Ensuring fairness in machine learning algorithms.
method Introducing maximal correlation framework for fairness constraints and deriving regularizers.
result The approach provides smooth performance-fairness tradeoff curves and competitive performance.
FairVIC improves fairness in neural networks without sacrificing accuracy.
problem Mitigating bias in automated decision-making systems, particularly in deep learning models.
method Integrates variance, invariance, and covariance terms into the loss function during training to abstract fairness concepts.
result Significant improvements in fairness across all tested metrics without compromising accuracy.
Online learning with one-sided feedback aims to maximize accuracy while ensuring fairness.
problem Maximizing accuracy in online learning with limited feedback and ensuring fairness.
method Extending the framework of Bechavod et al. (2020) to incorporate dynamic panels of auditors, reducing the problem to a contextual combinatorial semi-bandit, and leveraging Exp2 and Context-Semi-Bandit-FTPL algorithms.
result Multi-criteria no regret guarantees for accuracy and fairness are provided.
A popular approach of achieving fairness in optimization problems is by constraining the solution space to "fair" solutions, which unfortunately typically reduces solution quality. In practice, the ultimate goal is often an aggregate of sub-goals without a unique or best way of combining them or which is otherwise only…
New methods for fairness in regression using probabilistic classification.
problem Estimating fairness in continuous regression problems.
method Tractable approximations of fairness criteria using conditional probabilities from distinct classifiers.
result Model agnostic, tractable approximations of fairness criteria.
Now that machine learning algorithms lie at the center of many resource allocation pipelines, computer scientists have been unwittingly cast as partial social planners. Given this state of affairs, important questions follow. What is the relationship between fairness as defined by computer scientists and notions of soc…
Current methodologies in machine learning analyze the effects of various statistical parity notions of fairness primarily in light of their impacts on predictive accuracy and vendor utility loss. In this paper, we propose a new framework for interpreting the effects of fairness criteria by converting the constrained lo…
Advocates focusing on utility functions to avoid unfair outcomes.
problem Unfair outcomes from fairness criteria in optimizing policies.
method Defines value of information fairness and proposes modifying utility functions.
result Value of information fairness leads to better answers than existing fairness notions.
Paper characterizes fairness vs. accuracy tradeoff in classification.
problem Mitigating bias in machine learning models.
method Characterizes the tradeoff between fairness and accuracy, provides a post-processing algorithm.
result Post-processing algorithm yields optimal fair classifier when score is Bayes optimal.
Extends Demographic Parity for fairer wage predictions with expert knowledge.
problem Inadequate fairness metrics limit user domain knowledge and ignore intersectional fairness.
method Develops a parametric method to incorporate expert knowledge in fair predictions.
result Offers a robust solution for real-life applications with limited data and spending constraints.
Framework tests group fairness in machine learning models.
problem Detecting biases in machine learning classifiers.
method Optimal transport projections to audit group fairness.
result Statistical test for various fairness notions efficiently computed.
Developing classification methods with high accuracy that also avoid unfair treatment of different groups has become increasingly important for data-driven decision making in social applications. Many existing methods enforce fairness constraints on a selected classifier (e.g., logistic regression) by directly forming …
Proposes a method to learn fair predictors for multiple subgroups with limited data.
problem Fairness and accuracy issues in learning from multiple subgroups with limited data.
method Formulates a bilevel objective to learn subgroup-specific predictors and a fair predictor that is close to all of them.
result The method effectively controls group sufficiency and generalization error, improving fairness and accuracy.
Fair HAC algorithms ensure clustering fairness across protected groups.
problem Ensuring clustering fairness in HAC algorithms when datasets contain biases.
method Proposes fair algorithms for HAC that enforce fairness constraints regardless of distance linkage criteria.
result Our fair HAC algorithms find fairer clusterings compared to vanilla HAC and other fair clustering approaches.
Notions of "fair classification" that have arisen in computer science generally revolve around equalizing certain statistics across protected groups. This approach has been criticized as ignoring societal issues, including how errors can hurt certain groups disproportionately. We pose a modification of one of the fairn…
This work addresses local fairness in machine learning models.
problem Ensuring fairness within subregions of feature space, not just global averages.
method Introduces ROAD, a Distributionally Robust Optimization (DRO) approach with adversarial learning.
result Achieves Pareto dominance in local fairness and accuracy across datasets.
Recent work in fairness in machine learning has proposed adjusting for fairness by equalizing accuracy metrics across groups and has also studied how datasets affected by historical prejudices may lead to unfair decision policies. We connect these lines of work and study the residual unfairness that arises when a fairn…
A new bias score method optimizes fairness in classification.
problem Ensuring fairness in binary classification under group constraints.
method Introducing bias scores and developing a post-hoc approach to adapt to fairness constraints.
result The method maintains high accuracy while ensuring fairness constraints.