
TDAI and the Moritz College of Law are pleased to present Dr. Michael Akinwumi, Chief Responsible AI Officer at the National Fair Housing Alliance, as the next featured speaker of the Program on Data and Governance. Dr. Akinwumi will present a talk entitled, "Reprograming equality: paving the way for fair housing with AI," on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 12:15-1:15 p.m. in Saxbe Auditorium and on Zoom. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
Registration: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqRwJx38xuylHnw
Talk abstract:
Mortgage lenders, landlords, and others increasingly use AI models to decide who gets access to housing. These AI models can embed past discrimination and so perpetuate harmful bias in housing markets. In this lecture, Michael Akinwumi will describe algorithmic fairness techniques that can reduce bias in algorithmic housing-related decisions. He will further explain how existing fair housing laws can, in some instances, impede the use of such fairness techniques. Finally, he will propose legal and policy changes to make algorithmic fairness techniques permissible and so to better achieve the purposes of fair housing laws themselves.
Speaker Bio:
Michael Akinwumi is the Chief Responsible AI Officer at the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) where he is tasked with critical responsibilities, including the development and implementation of Responsible AI policies and guidelines that prioritize fairness, privacy, security, explainability, reliability and non-algorithmic solutions. He provides strategic oversight and leadership, collaborating with senior management to advocate for ethical AI practices in housing and lending, and assess potential risks associated with AI use in housing and lending. Stakeholder engagement and education are part of his portfolio, involving interactions with both internal and external parties to gather input, educate employees, and ensure adherence to Responsible AI principles. Moreover, he represents NFHA in industry discussions, advocating for responsible AI practices and staying current with emerging regulations and ethical frameworks to educate providers of housing and lending AI products and services on the need for compliance and alignment with national and global Responsible AI standards.
Previously, he led governance engineering, recommender systems, and machine learning solutions for various sectors, such as fintech, banking, and insurance. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Alberta and has multiple certifications and honors in data analysis and mathematical modeling.
Dr. Akinwumi lives his belief that “only a life lived for others is worth living.”