Bundles Scholar Renee Cummings on AI and Police Brutality

June 30, 2020

In a June 18 lecture, A'Lelia Bundles Community Scholar, criminologist, and artificial intelligence (AI) ethicist Renée Cummings discussed how artificial intelligence is shaping the public health response to the novel coronavirus while also recoding the distribution of power and the administration of justice.

In the lecture, part of a Community Scholars series sponsored by the Columbia School of Professional Studies, Cummings examined why "black and brown data" matter in creating diverse, equitable and inclusive AI. She also explored how digital profiling with AI, such as facial recognition, crime forecasting and predictive policing, reinforce institutional racism and systemic discrimination. 

The A'Lelia Bundles Community Scholars Program, administered by the Office of Government and Community Affairs, the Office of the Provost, and the School of Professional Studies, enables independent scholars to pursue their lifelong learning aspirations through access to Columbia University courses and resources.