Marquette University to co-host AI Ethics Symposium, ‘From Policy to Practice,’ Nov. 21

Nov. 14, 2024


Dr. Alondra Nelson (left) and Dr. Casey Fiesler (right)MILWAUKEE — Marquette University’s Center for Data, Ethics, and Society and the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI) are partnering to host the 2024 AI Ethics Symposium, “From Policy to Practice,” Thursday, Nov. 21, at Alumni Memorial Union, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave.

The symposium will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with two keynote addresses. Dr. Alondra Nelson, former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will discuss “How to Govern the Future.” Dr. Casey Fiesler, associate professor of information science at the University of Colorado Boulder, will give an address, “When Data is People,” which will consider ethics, privacy, and ownership for research and AI uses of public data.

The symposium will also include panel discussions, workshops and networking on the ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence and personal data management, including topics such as “Ethics of AI in Practice” and “Policy & Ethics of AI.

Registration and a full schedule of sessions are available online. Media interested in covering individual panels or the entire symposium should contact Kevin Conway at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu. Interview requests with speakers and presenters should be coordinated in advance.

Started by Dr. Thomas Kaczmarek in 2016, the Marquette Ethics of Big Data Symposium has been a leader in bringing together leading scholars, practitioners and advocates who focus on these critical issues. Now organized by the Center for Data, Ethics, and Society, the annual symposium continues to be a space for diverse and provocative conversations to help ensure the ethical use of big data for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.

About NMDSI

The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI), a partnership between Northwestern Mutual, Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is creating a technology ecosystem and advancing southeastern Wisconsin as a national hub for technology, research, business and talent development. Since its inception in 2018, the NMDSI has championed academic data science and technology learning while propelling innovation in key areas, including AI, data bias and ethics, behavioral economics, financial literacy, and health and wealth inequities. NMDSI-affiliated research projects use data science to address challenging societal issues that have a local and national impact.

About Marquette University

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, Marquette prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, Marquette is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a Marquette degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.


About Kevin Conway

Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu