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About the Event

As facial recognition technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, and the presence of such devices proves ubiquitous in both public and private spheres, it is critical for researchers to examine the potential effects on both individuals and society as a whole. To this end, the Division of Emerging Media Studies of Boston University’s College of Communication is holding an international symposium to bring together diverse perspectives from social scientists, philosophers, policy-makers, and computer scientists to explore the social, behavioral, and psychological dimensions of this new technological terrain. This unique collection of voices intends to illuminate the various and often competing dimensions of a challenging, complex area of research. Ultimately, it hopes to trace out the implications for society, and the choices that we must collectively and individually make.

Call for Papers

The Division of Emerging Media Studies at Boston University invites research-based perspectives on facial recognition technology. Limited travel support for presenters is available on an as-needed basis. Send abstracts to [email protected].

Symposium Format

The symposium will be composed of brief research-based papers, in-depth scholarly panel discussions, and lively audience participation. Ongoing discourse via Twitter is anticipated. As a clear understanding from an informed viewpoint is our goal, advocacy for particular partisan perspectives is discouraged.

Overview

Efforts to understand facial expressions and determine identity through technological means has existed since at least the 1960s (Gates, 2011). Decades of technological advancement have amplified the capacity for machines to discern individual identities, and today, facial recognition technology offers promising opportunities in sundry domains; algorithmically- informed predictability can offer substantial benefits in policing and security (Ricanek & Boehnen, 2012), medicine (Tan, Gilani, Mayberry, Mian, Hunt, Walters, & Whitehouse, 2017), and commercial endeavors (Deng, Navarathna, Carr, Mandt, Yue, Matthews, & Mori, 2017). However, these opportunities are simultaneously met with several challenges, such as the lack of regulation (Garvie, Bedoya, & Frankle, 2016), potential for flawed data through algorithmic bias (Introna, 2005; Introna & Wood, 2004), and infringements on personal privacy, particularly with the influx of photo sharing via social media platforms and resultant access to big data (Gasser, 2016; Mohapatra, 2016; Nakar & Greenbaum, 2017; Shaw, 2012).

To more fully understand the complexities of facial recognition technology and its consequences, the Division of Emerging Media Studies at Boston University presents an international symposium, where scholars from a variety of fields will discuss the promises and perils. An interdisciplinary, cross-cutting approach will help to facilitate an in-depth examination of the topic through paper presentations, panel discussions, and a poster session. The symposium will encourage the audience, both in-person and via virtual livestream, to participate actively with questions and debate. The goal of the event is for participants to not only develop a deep understanding of the competing issues at play but also identify actionable next steps within their fields of study.

Practitioners, researchers, and noted scholars of facial recognition technology will be invited to present their work. The Division of Emerging Media Studies invites additional perspectives through the peer-reviewed call for papers. Talks will be organized into panels, where each presenter will each briefly share their work, followed by an extended discussion among panelists.

Agenda (Subject to Change)

• April 17th: Welcome Reception for Speakers and Panelists, location TBD
• April 18th: Hillel Center, 213 Bay State Rd., Boston, MA, USA

International Scientific Advisory Board

• Appel, Lora – OpenLab, University Health Network, Toronto
• Betke, Margrit – Boston University
• Brito, Eliane P. Z. – Fundação Getulio Vargas, São Paulo
• Caronia, Letizia – Università degli Studi di Bologna
• Chen, Yi-Fan – Miami University
• Cushman, Ellen – Northeastern University
• Floyd, Juliet – Boston University
• Laugier, Sandra – Sorbonne University
• Lim, Sun Sun – Singapore University of Technology & Design
• Neff, Gina – Oxford University
• Poiger, Uta – Northeastern University
• Soysal, Zeynep – Boston University
• Takahashi, Toshie – Waseda University

Hosted by the University of Surrey, in collaboration with the following Divisions and Interest Groups of the Academy of Management: Strategic Management (STR), Human Resources (HR), Management Consulting (MC), Organizational Behavior (OB), Organizational Communication & Information Systems (OCIS), Organization & Management Theory (OMT), Organizations & the Natural Environment (ONE), Social Issues in Management (SIM), Technology & Innovation Management (TIM).

Be Inspired. Big data and digital technologies have impacted the modern workplace and stimulated the evolution of new forms of management. Connect with scholars advancing this rapidly evolving field and jump-start your own exploration of how big data and digital technologies are changing how we work and the world we live in. The Academy of Management Specialized Conference, “Big Data and Managing in a Digital Economy” is your invitation to join academics in business schools, related social science and other fields, and practitioners who value knowledge creation and application, to examine the expanding field of big data. The digital phenomenon is multifaceted and changes the way organizations compete and innovate. It threatens long-lasting business models, and opens up new ways of creating and capturing value. As such, it is not only clearly relevant for management practitioners, but also centrally important for management scholars.

From research to best practices, this conference features a comprehensive program of presentations, active learning workshops, and panel discussions that provide the key learning and networking opportunities you need—to make the most of your scholarship and ideas.

Ben Shneiderman, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Founding Director of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, and Member of the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland, College Park

Vital services such as communications, financial trading, health care, and transportation depend on sophisticated algorithms. Some rely on unpredictable artificial intelligence techniques, such as deep learning, that are increasingly embedded in complex software systems. As high-speed trading, medical devices, and autonomous aircraft become more widely used, stronger checks are necessary to prevent failures. Design strategies that promote comprehensible, predictable, and controllable human-centered systems can increase safety and make failure investigations more effective. Social strategies that support human-centered independent oversight during planning, continuous monitoring during operation, and retrospective analyses following failures can play a powerful role in making more reliable and trustworthy systems. Clarifying responsibility for failures stimulates improved design thinking.

Free and open to the public.

Please register and join us.

Ben Shneiderman is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the founding director (1983–2000) of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory at the University of Maryland, where he is also a member of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Network Advertising Initiative and an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, in recognition of his pioneering contributions to human-computer interaction and information visualization. His contributions include the direct manipulation concept, clickable highlighted weblinks, touchscreen keyboards, dynamic query sliders, development of treemaps, novel network visualizations for NodeXL, and temporal event sequence analysis for electronic health records.

Shneiderman is the lead author of Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction, 6th ed. (Pearson, 2016). He coauthored, with Derek Hansen and Marc A. Smith, Analyzing Social Media Networks with NodeXL: Insights from a Connected World (Morgan Kaufmann, 2010) and, with Stuart K. Card and Jock Mackinlay, Readings in Information Visualization: Using Vision to Think (Morgan Kaufmann, 1999). Shneiderman’s book The New ABCs of Research: Achieving Breakthrough Collaborations (Oxford University Press, 2016) has an accompanying short book, Rock the Research: Your Guidebook to Accelerating Campus Discovery and Innovation (independently published, 2018).

This event is cosponsored by the Harvard Data Science Initiative.

Kalinda Raina, head of global privacy at LinkedIn will share her insights on how to build privacy into your company’s corporate culture.

4-5pm – Kalinda will present, followed by Q&A

5-6pm – informal networking and small group discussions

Kalinda Raina is a privacy leader with 16+ years experience in both building privacy programs and strategies from the ground up and ensuring enterprise compliance. She is currently the Head of Global Privacy for LinkedIn and was previously Head of Privacy for the Americas at Apple and the first Chief Privacy Officer of Nintendo of America Inc. She has a real passion for developing strong privacy cultures within organizations to help ensure privacy is integrated into products and relevant to every member of the workforce.

Please join local IAPP members for an informal evening of networking. Attendees are responsible for their own expenses.

This KnowledgeNet Happy Hour is a fun and easy way to get to know other local privacy professionals. The event is open to anyone who works in or is interested in privacy. There’s no agenda, just show up and have a good time!

Please note: CPE credits are not awarded for KnowledgeNet Happy Hours.

Special thank you to Washington, DC Chapter Young Privacy Professional Leaders, James Morris, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP, Booz Allen Hamilton and Bryant Fry, CIPP/US, Privacy Manager, Council of Better Business Bureaus, for organizing this happy hour.