Unified framework for measuring causality-based fairness in machine learning.
problem Challenges of measuring causality-based fairness from observational data.
method Unified definition of PC fairness and constrained optimization method.
result Correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method demonstrated on synthetic and real-world datasets.
We consider the problem of learning fair decision systems in complex scenarios in which a sensitive attribute might affect the decision along both fair and unfair pathways. We introduce a causal approach to disregard effects along unfair pathways that simplifies and generalizes previous literature. Our method corrects …
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.
Proposes a method to learn fair classifiers without restrictive assumptions.
problem Fairness in machine learning decisions for individuals.
method Defines PIU and optimizes to control its upper bound.
result Guarantees fairness for each individual without restrictive assumptions.
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.
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.
In this paper, we study counterfactual fairness in text classification, which asks the question: How would the prediction change if the sensitive attribute referenced in the example were different? Toxicity classifiers demonstrate a counterfactual fairness issue by predicting that "Some people are gay" is toxic while "…
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.
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.
Introduces lookahead counterfactual fairness to account for downstream effects of ML predictions.
problem Downstream effects of ML predictions on individuals not considered by counterfactual fairness.
method Introduces lookahead counterfactual fairness (LCF), a new fairness notion that considers future status. Proposes an algorithm based on theoretical conditions.
result Proposes an algorithm to achieve lookahead counterfactual fairness and validates it on synthetic and real data.
New method for fair regression using optimal transport.
problem Learning fair regression models under counterfactual fairness constraints.
method Causal uncertainty view, optimal transport, post-processing method.
result High-probability fairness guarantees with O ( n − 1 / 3 ) O(n^{-1/3}) O ( n − 1/3 ) decay. Develops algorithm to make fair decisions from biased data.
problem Ethical concerns in machine learning fairness.
method Fair Learning through Data Preprocessing (FLAP) algorithm.
result Counterfactual fairness equivalent to conditional independence.
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.
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.
Predictive models learned from historical data are widely used to help companies and organizations make decisions. However, they may digitally unfairly treat unwanted groups, raising concerns about fairness and discrimination. In this paper, we study the fairness-aware ranking problem which aims to discover discriminat…
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.
Algorithm simulates counterfactuals for fairness analysis.
problem Analytical intractability of counterfactuals in conditional distributions.
method Proposes an algorithm using particle filtering for discrete and continuous variables.
result Asymptotically valid inference for counterfactuals.
Proposes adversarial learning for counterfactual fairness in machine learning.
problem Ensuring fairness at the individual level by simulating counterfactual samples.
method Adversarial neural learning approach to infer counterfactual samples.
result Significant improvements in counterfactual fairness for both discrete and continuous settings.
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 …
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.
Proposes a method to create fair, robust predictors that remain consistent across different scenarios.
problem Creating fair and robust machine learning models that behave consistently across different scenarios.
method Graphical criteria and a model-agnostic framework called CIP based on HSCIC.
result Demonstrates the effectiveness of CIP in enforcing counterfactual invariance across various datasets.
PyCFRL helps ensure fair reinforcement learning policies from offline data.
problem Ensuring fairness in reinforcement learning policies for disadvantaged groups.
method Sequential data preprocessing to learn counterfactually fair policies.
result PyCFRL implements a novel algorithm for fair RL policy learning.
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.
Study finds racial bias in pulse oximeter readings has minimal impact on ICU ventilation rates.
problem Racial disparities in pulse oximeter readings affect clinical decisions in ICU settings.
method Causal inference using path-specific effects and doubly robust estimator.
result Minimal impact of racial discrepancies on invasive ventilation rates, but more pronounced on ventilation duration.
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.
FairyTED predicts fair ratings for TED talks.
problem Fairness in predicting public speech quality.
method Causal Models, Counterfactual Fairness, neural language models.
result Counterfactually fair predictions compared to true data labels.
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.
CST detects discrimination by comparing protected and non-protected individuals with a counterfactual.
problem Detecting discrimination in classifiers using legal fairness conditions.
method Operationalizes fairness given the difference using counterfactual reasoning.
result CST uncovers more discrimination cases than traditional situation testing.
New algorithm makes machine learning fairer by removing bias from data.
problem Reduces bias in machine learning models through orthogonal data transformation.
method Orthogonal to Bias (OB) algorithm based on structural causal models.
result Promotes counterfactual fairness without sacrificing model accuracy.
Recently there has been sustained interest in modifying prediction algorithms to satisfy fairness constraints. These constraints are typically complex nonlinear functionals of the observed data distribution. Focusing on the path-specific causal constraints proposed by Nabi and Shpitser (2018), we introduce new theoreti…
Machine learning can impact people with legal or ethical consequences when it is used to automate decisions in areas such as insurance, lending, hiring, and predictive policing. In many of these scenarios, previous decisions have been made that are unfairly biased against certain subpopulations, for example those of a …
Improves global counterfactual explanations for model recourse.
problem Inability to provide explanations beyond local instances.
method Investigates and improves Actionable Recourse Summaries (AReS) for global counterfactual explanations.
result Develops more efficient and interactive explainability tools.
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 proposes a fair reinforcement learning framework to prevent healthcare disparities.
problem Unfair reinforcement learning policies in healthcare can lead to socioeconomically-disadvantaged subgroups being underprivileged.
method The paper introduces a counterfactual fairness framework and a sequential data preprocessing algorithm to achieve fair sequential decision making.
result The proposed approach greatly enhances fair access to counseling in a digital health dataset designed to reduce opioid misuse.
New approach to counterfactual reasoning avoids demographic interventions.
problem Limitations of traditional counterfactual reasoning in AI systems.
method Backtracking counterfactual approach instead of interventional.
result Allows addressing social concerns without demographic interventions.
Machine learning (ML) can automate decision-making by learning to predict decisions from historical data. However, these predictors may inherit discriminatory policies from past decisions and reproduce unfair decisions. In this paper, we propose two algorithms that adjust fitted ML predictors to make them fair. We focu…
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.
As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role in our society, there are ethical and moral obligations for both businesses and researchers to ensure that their machine learning models are designed, deployed, and maintained responsibly. These models need to be rigorously audited for fairness, robustness…
Medical imaging models may encode demographic attributes without violating fairness, depending on the approach.
problem Discrimination in medical imaging models due to encoding demographic attributes.
method Examined marginal and class-conditional representation invariance, traditional fairness notions, and counterfactual fairness.
result Demographically invariant models may not necessarily be fair, and encoding demographic attributes can be advantageous.
Algorithmic risk assessments are increasingly used to help humans make decisions in high-stakes settings, such as medicine, criminal justice and education. In each of these cases, the purpose of the risk assessment tool is to inform actions, such as medical treatments or release conditions, often with the aim of reduci…
A new method improves data representation for diverse tasks.
problem Learning meaningful representations for tasks like batch correction and counterfactual inference.
method Contrastive Mixture of Posteriors (CoMP) method using misalignment penalties.
result CoMP achieves state-of-the-art performance on challenging tasks.
Fairness measures fail in predictive settings that intentionally shift outcomes.
problem Fairness measures fail in performative prediction settings.
method Formalized concept shift and counterfactual outcomes.
result Predictors that are fair during training become unfair during deployment.
Paper detects biases in medical imaging ML models using counterfactual analysis.
problem Bias in medical imaging ML models negatively impacts generalization performance.
method Counterfactual invariance framework combining conditional latent diffusion models and statistical hypothesis testing.
result The method identifies and quantifies biases without direct access to counterfactual data.
Peer-induced fairness framework audits algorithmic fairness in AI applications.
problem Current auditing methods lack robustness and fail to distinguish between algorithmic discrimination and subject limitations.
method Combines counterfactual fairness and peer comparison strategy for a reliable auditing tool.
result Demonstrates significant unfairness in micro-firms compared to non-micro firms, highlighting the framework's potential.
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.
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.
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.
New methods estimate causal effects through mediators, handling confounding without strict assumptions.
problem Estimating causal effects through mediators while accounting for unmeasured confounding.
method Developed four nonparametric identification strategies using proximal confounding bridge functions, efficient influence function, and quadruply robust estimator. Proposed proximal debiased machine learning approach for high-dimensional nuisance parameters.
result Achieved n \sqrt{n} n -consistency and asymptotic normality for path-specific effect estimation.