Questions about ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the ACM FAccT conference and what does it study?
The ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency is an academic conference organized by the Association for Computing Machinery, bringing together computer scientists, statisticians, legal scholars, and social scientists. It examines questions of algorithmic accountability, transparency, and ethics in computing systems. The acronym FATE names the conference's core themes: Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics in sociotechnical systems.
When was the first ACM FAccT conference and where was it held?
The first ACM FAccT conference was held in New York, New York in February 2018. The conference subsequently expanded internationally, meeting in cities including Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2024. It is scheduled to convene in Montreal, Canada from the 25th to the 28th of June 2026.
Who funds the ACM FAccT conference?
ACM FAccT is funded by corporate sponsors including Facebook, Twitter, and Google, along with philanthropic organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and Luminate. All contributions flow into a general fund with no earmarked donations, and sponsors have no role in determining the conference program, topic selection, or structure.
What are the main examples of algorithmic bias discussed at ACM FAccT?
Two widely cited examples are COMPAS, a predictive recidivism algorithm deployed in American courts, and an automated recruitment tool developed by Amazon that was proven to favor male job applicants over female ones. Machine-learning-based decision support has also spread into education and benefits provision, raising similar concerns about accountability and transparency.
How has ACM FAccT research influenced artificial intelligence policy?
Research from the FAccT community contributed to the European Union's AI Act and the AI Principles developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Studies on algorithmic bias have also led major technology companies to revise their hiring practices.
What are the main criticisms of the ACM FAccT conference?
Critics argue that research produced at ACM FAccT is too focused on theory to address real-world algorithmic harms. Others identify a structural tension: the technology companies that fund the conference are often the same companies developing the technologies the conference examines, raising questions about the conference's independence.