Sabrina Sam
DARE Project: Building Better Algorithms: Health Inequities, Bias, and the Use of AI Tools in Medicine
Program(s) of Study: Criminology
Project Supervisor: Sarah Blacker
I hope this research will contribute to more equitable and accountable uses of artificial intelligence in healthcare, as well as an increased awareness of how AI can both mitigate and reinforce health inequities depending on its design and implementation.
Project Description:
This research project explored how artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to improve clinical efficiency and reduce human error in healthcare can reinforce existing health inequities through biased clinical datasets. The project also examined the importance of collecting race-based data to understand and develop informed solutions to address existing health inequities in Canada. The project further examined the emerging debate on the need for race-based data collection in healthcare settings in Canada, and the differing views of public health officials and racialized communities on racial justice and health equity. I developed annotated bibliographies on secondary literature sources focusing on how artificial intelligence applications in healthcare can mitigate and perpetuate systemic inequities in healthcare settings. I also evaluated the protections offered by Canadian legal frameworks from algorithmic bias and discrimination from artificial intelligence healthcare tools. Further, I analyzed the Anti-Racism Acts of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia in order to understand their relevance and challenges with collecting health related data.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) - Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.