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.
Fair clustering under the disparate impact doctrine requires that population of each protected group should be approximately equal in every cluster. Previous work investigated a difficult-to-scale pre-processing step for k-center and k-median style algorithms for the special case of this problem when the number of …
ARL improves fairness without protected features, showing AUC improvements for worst-case groups.
problem Training fairness in ML without known protected features.
method Adversarially Reweighted Learning (ARL) using non-protected features and task labels.
result ARL improves Rawlsian Max-Min fairness with notable AUC improvements for worst-case groups.
We consider the problem of improving fairness when one lacks access to a dataset labeled with protected groups, making it difficult to take advantage of strategies that can improve fairness but require protected group labels, either at training or runtime. To address this, we investigate improving fairness metrics for …
MASC balances dataset representation using affinity clustering and distribution discrepancies.
problem Representation bias in datasets due to group imbalance.
method MASC uses affinity clustering and pairwise distribution discrepancies to balance non-protected and protected groups.
result MASC effectively debiases target datasets, comparable to existing methods.
Fairness has become a central issue for our research community as classification algorithms are adopted in societally critical domains such as recidivism prediction and loan approval. In this work, we consider the potential bias based on protected attributes (e.g., race and gender), and tackle this problem by learning …
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.
The study tackles indirect discrimination in insurance pricing models.
problem Indirect discrimination in insurance pricing models.
method Presented a statistical model free of proxy discrimination.
result The canonical price in the model does not satisfy group fairness axioms.
Study develops a new method for creating fair models.
problem Ensuring equal outcomes for different protected groups.
method Introduces a new group-fair constraint based on transport maps.
result Develops a novel algorithm FTM for training group-fair models.
Topologically protected vortex knots and links are proposed and proven.
problem Decaying of tangled vortex structures through local reconnections and strand crossings.
method Proposed and proven topologically protected vortex structures using non-Abelian topological vortices.
result Existence of topologically protected Q8-colored links and classification using the Q-invariant. 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.
The paper tackles fairness in estimating graphical models, especially for protected attributes.
problem Fairness issues in estimating graphical models, particularly for sensitive characteristics.
method Integrates pairwise graph disparity error and a tailored loss function into a multi-objective optimization problem.
result Successfully mitigates bias in graphical model estimation without compromising model performance.
Invariants for colored links found, with topological protection of certain knots.
problem Finding invariants for colored links and understanding their topological stability.
method Equivariant bordism groups of Conner and Floyd, topological surgeries.
result Topological protection of certain tricolored knots, with specific transformations.
New method detects and prevents unfairness in few-shot regression models.
problem Fairness issues in supervised few-shot meta-learning models.
method Causal Bayesian knowledge graph for dependency visualization, risk difference quantification, and fast-adapted bias-control approach.
result Efficiently detects and mitigates unfairness in model predictions.
Differential privacy protects data privacy by adding noise to data.
problem Leakage of sensitive data through common methods like encryption and endpoint protection.
method Randomized response technique to add noise to data collection.
result Differential privacy ensures strong privacy with better utility.
Loss minimization leads to multicalibration for neural networks.
problem Ensuring fairness in predictions across multiple protected groups.
method Minimizing squared loss over neural networks of size n.
result Minimizing loss over neural nets of size n implies multicalibration for most values of n.
Proposes a new method for fairness in machine learning with multiple protected attributes.
problem Ensuring fairness in machine learning models with continuous and multiple protected attributes.
method Distance covariance regularisation framework to mitigate association between model predictions and protected attributes.
result Demonstrates effectiveness in mitigating fairness gerrymandering in regression tasks.
A popular methodology for building binary decision-making classifiers in the presence of imperfect information is to first construct a non-binary "scoring" classifier that is calibrated over all protected groups, and then to post-process this score to obtain a binary decision. We study the feasibility of achieving vari…
We present pairwise fairness metrics for ranking models and regression models that form analogues of statistical fairness notions such as equal opportunity, equal accuracy, and statistical parity. Our pairwise formulation supports both discrete protected groups, and continuous protected attributes. We show that the res…
Improves clustering fairness by learning fair clusters adaptively.
problem Fairness in deep clustering, especially for protected status variables.
method Formulates group-level fairness as ILP, integrates into discriminative deep clustering, refines learning algorithm.
result Consistently outperforms fair clustering algorithms on real-world datasets.
Motivated by settings in which predictive models may be required to be non-discriminatory with respect to certain attributes (such as race), but even collecting the sensitive attribute may be forbidden or restricted, we initiate the study of fair learning under the constraint of differential privacy. We design two lear…
New framework for fair ranking with noisy protected attributes.
problem Errors in socially-salient attributes undermine fairness guarantees.
method Modeling perturbations in protected attributes and incorporating probabilistic information.
result Framework provides provable guarantees on fairness and utility.
Proposes FACT, a diagnostic for understanding group fairness trade-offs.
problem Group fairness notions often conflict with each other, requiring a cost in model performance.
method Characterizes trade-offs via the fairness-confusion tensor and optimizes accuracy and fairness objectives.
result Demonstrates the use of FACT on synthetic and real datasets to understand accuracy-fairness trade-offs.
This research compares two encoding methods for categorical attributes in machine learning, affecting model fairness.
problem The impact of encoding protected categorical attributes on fairness in machine learning models.
method Comparison of one-hot encoding and target encoding methods.
result Target encoding can lead to more unfair models compared to one-hot encoding due to induced bias.
The firefighter game problem on locally finite connected graphs was introduced by Bert Hartnell. The game on a graph G can be described as follows: let fn be a sequence of positive integers; an initial fire starts at a finite set of vertices; at each (integer) time n≥1, fn vertices which are not on fire b…
In this paper, we study the prediction of a real-valued target, such as a risk score or recidivism rate, while guaranteeing a quantitative notion of fairness with respect to a protected attribute such as gender or race. We call this class of problems \emph{fair regression}. We propose general schemes for fair regressio…
The widespread use of ML-based decision making in domains with high societal impact such as recidivism, job hiring and loan credit has raised a lot of concerns regarding potential discrimination. In particular, in certain cases it has been observed that ML algorithms can provide different decisions based on sensitive a…
The paper explores the tradeoff between fairness and accuracy in regression models.
problem Characterizing the tradeoff between fairness and accuracy in regression models.
method Provided a lower bound on the error of any fair regressor and extended the result to joint error using Wasserstein distance.
result Lower bounds on the error of fair regressors and their connection to Wasserstein distance.
The study tests and optimizes fairness in credit scoring models.
problem Discrimination in credit scoring models based on protected attributes.
method Formal testing and variable identification to optimize fairness and performance.
result Guidance on monitoring and improving algorithmic fairness in credit scoring.
Most approaches aiming to ensure a model's fairness with respect to a protected attribute (such as gender or race) assume to know the true value of the attribute for every data point. In this paper, we ask to what extent fairness interventions can be effective even when only imperfect information about the protected at…
Paper proposes protecting DNN models with secret key preprocessing.
problem Protecting deep learning models from unauthorized access.
method Block-wise pixel shuffling with secret key for preprocessing.
result Protected models maintain close performance to non-protected models with correct key, but accuracy drops significantly with incorrect key.
Paper assesses the market value of sharing privacy-protected smart meter data.
problem Value of sharing privacy-protected smart meter data between consumers and load serving entities.
method Discounted differential privacy model, ANN-based load forecasting, optimal procurement problem.
result Significant value in sharing smart meter data while retaining individual consumer privacy.
This paper tackles fair Bayes-optimal classifiers under predictive parity, proving their limitations and proposing a new algorithm.
problem Ensuring fair Bayes-optimal classifiers under predictive parity, especially when group performance levels vary widely.
method Proving the limitations of fair Bayes-optimal classifiers under predictive parity and proposing a new adaptive thresholding algorithm, FairBayes-DPP.
result Fair Bayes-optimal classifiers under predictive parity may not hold if group performance levels vary widely, leading to within-group unfairness.
Fed-FEARE model extracts rules from multiple agencies' data securely.
problem Data privacy and secure rule extraction across multiple agencies.
method Federated F-score based ensemble tree model.
result Model performance measures significantly improved with federated learning.
The paper proposes a method to measure fairness through equality of effort using algorithmic recourse.
problem Measuring fairness through equality of effort in automated systems.
method Applying algorithmic recourse to quantify equality of effort, overcoming previous limitations.
result An algorithm for assessing equality of effort has been developed and validated.
Paper protects privacy and fairness in deep learning models.
problem Ensuring fairness in deep learning models while protecting sensitive data.
method Uses differential privacy and Lagrangian duality to design fair predictors.
result Demonstrates improved model performance on prediction tasks.
Paper tackles fairness in CCA by minimizing correlation disparity error.
problem Fairness issues in CCA.
method Framework to minimize correlation disparity error in CCA.
result Reduces correlation disparity error without sacrificing CCA accuracy.
We formulate a family of spin Topological Quantum Filed Theories (spin-TQFTs) as fermionic generalization of bosonic Dijkgraaf-Witten TQFTs. They are obtained by gauging G-equivariant invertible spin-TQFTs, or, in physics language, gauging the interacting fermionic Symmetry Protected Topological states (SPTs) with a …
Paper proposes a new approach to GDPR compliance using data protection analytics.
problem Lack of research on data protection risk management and difficulty in GDPR compliance.
method Quantitative approach to data protection risk-based compliance.
result Improves data protection impact assessments by integrating analytics and expert opinions.
We present FlipTest, a black-box technique for uncovering discrimination in classifiers. FlipTest is motivated by the intuitive question: had an individual been of a different protected status, would the model have treated them differently? Rather than relying on causal information to answer this question, FlipTest lev…
Study on privacy-preserving health care models that sacrifice accuracy for data protection.
problem Privacy-preserving models in health care neglect data from the tails, reducing accuracy for small groups.
method Used state-of-the-art differentially private learning methods for clinical prediction tasks.
result Privacy-preserving models in health care exhibit steep tradeoffs between privacy and utility, and disproportionately influence large demographic groups.
Develops methods to measure and reduce fairness in datasets with limited protected attribute labels.
problem Measuring and reducing fairness in datasets with limited protected attribute labels.
method Proposes methods to estimate fairness metrics and train models to limit fairness violations using probabilistic protected attribute labels.
result Our methods provide tighter bounds on true disparity and effectively reduce fairness violations with lesser fairness-accuracy trade-offs.
Study protects federated learning models from eavesdropping attacks.
problem Protecting client models in federated learning from eavesdropping adversaries.
method Theoretical analysis and numerical experiments examining various factors.
result Theoretical and experimental results show the effectiveness of protection methods.
Develops methods for fair classification under linear disparity constraints.
problem Disparate impacts of machine learning algorithms on protected groups.
method Bayes-optimal fair classification methods via pre-, in-, and post-processing.
result Explicit forms of Bayes-optimal fair classifiers under linear disparity measures.
Fairness audits fail under missing protected labels, especially at zero access.
problem Understanding the reliability of fairness audits with incomplete protected-label data.
method Introduced a seed-calibrated stress test to separate missingness effects from seed-to-seed movement.
result Missing protected labels do not significantly alter fairness mitigation methods, but they can lead to harmful intersectional outcomes.
The increasing impact of algorithmic decisions on people's lives compels us to scrutinize their fairness and, in particular, the disparate impacts that ostensibly-color-blind algorithms can have on different groups. Examples include credit decisioning, hiring, advertising, criminal justice, personalized medicine, and t…
Paper explores fair classification with bounded disparity using finite datasets.
problem Ensuring fairness in binary classification with protected groups.
method Minimax optimal approach with fairness constraints and demographic disparity control.
result Proposes FairBayes-DDP+ method that achieves minimax lower bound on fairness-aware excess risk.
Machine learning is becoming an ever present part in our lives as many decisions, e.g. to lend a credit, are no longer made by humans but by machine learning algorithms. However those decisions are often unfair and discriminating individuals belonging to protected groups based on race or gender. With the recent General…