Risto Miikkulainen

Incidents involved as Deployer

Incident 1352 Report
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

2012-12-01

From the 2013 through 2019 admissions cycles, UT Austin’s Department of Computer Science used GRADE, a statistical machine-learning system trained on past admissions decisions, to score and organize PhD applications. Critics said the system could reproduce historical admissions inequities and reduce attention to lower-scored applicants, while UT Austin said human reviewers still evaluated each file and later discontinued the tool.

Related Entities

University of Texas at Austin's Department of Computer Science

Incidents involved as Deployer

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

Austin Waters

Incidents involved as Deployer

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

University of Texas at Austin researchers

Incidents involved as Developer

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

University of Texas at Austin PhD applicants of marginalized groups

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

students

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

University students

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

Educational communities

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

University applicants

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

PhD applicants

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

Computer science PhD applicants

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

PhD applicants from underrepresented groups

Incidents Harmed By

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

GRaduate ADmissions Evaluator (GRADE)

Incidents implicated systems

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns

Automated admissions screening systems

Incidents implicated systems

Incident 135
2 Reports
UT Austin’s GRADE Algorithm Reportedly Reduced Review of Lower-Scored PhD Applicants Amid Bias Concerns