Blooming in Muddy Waters; DEI at AI Ethics Conferences

Abstract

This report documents challenges faced by BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) scholars to participate in AI ethics conferences and the need for more equitable and intentional spaces. Despite foundational contributions, BIPOC scholars and the larger community remain underrepresented. Many people I spoke with report feeling disconnected in these conference spaces, reflecting broader disparities within the field as a whole.

Efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in AI ethics conferences to datrange from formal support for affinity groups, travel grants, speaker and organizer diversity, and geographic diversity, to multidisciplinarity. However, these do not address deeper challenges like tokenization, in which individuals from minoritized groups are forced to stand as universal representatives rather than being recognized for their individual expertise. A second key challenge in conference spaces is that attendees often find their identity as

BIPOC researchers leads to assumptions about their knowledge and experiences as members of affected communities, undermining their multidimensional identities and scholarly contributions. This collapse between identity and representation perpetuates a dynamic that flattens essential
insights in discussions on technology development, detracting from the very purpose of these conferences. This report identifies specific opportunities for conference organizers to better champion the work of BIPOC attendees and create more welcoming spaces.

Respondents called on conference organizers to shift peer review processes to better engage other communities of practice, including transnational and non-Western scholarship. They highlighted the value of practitioner and civil society perspectives in discussions of algorithmic justice. They also called for stronger connectivity to communities where conferences are hosted by spotlighting local campaigns and organizations.

Recommendations
Conference organizers have the opportunity to improve affinity group support and take steps to enhance experience of BIPOC through: involving affinity group organizers in curating main conference programs, spreading out affinity groups throughout the schedule for broader engagement, holding affinity group events concurrently with the main conference, and promoting these events to all attendees to highlight BIPOC scholars. These needs will be further addressed by additional social infrastructure for newcomers to the community.

Conference organizers should work to improve speaker and organizer diversity by providing BIPOC scholars with more decision-making power while being mindful of the additional burdens put on the community through service roles. Conference organizers should also include moderator training to improve overall intentionality of the space, and focus more programming on the trailblazing work of BIPOC scholars.

Travel support and inclusive planning practices are an essential component of supporting more equitable conference spaces. Conference organizers have the opportunity to improve existing practices by providing a longer duration between acceptance and the conference to support visa applications. Organizers should continue to invest in DEI work and communicate projected timelines for notification and reimbursement transparently, with the long term goal of shifting away from reimbursement norms in academia, which require individuals to outlay their own funds and potentially wait months to be reimbursed.

Conference organizers must also be intentional about choosing conference locations. Choose
host countries with fewer visa barriers. Consider bridging transnational gaps as a long-term
investment in relationships with a wider set of literatures, scholars, institutions, and organizations—-these take time and effort to build. In every conference location, create opportunities
for local attendees and lower barriers to local engagement.

This work was supported by the inaugural DEI Scholars grant from the ACM FAccT Conference

Keywords: DEI, AI Ethics, Conferences