Most people are familiar with social justice that advances equal rights, access, and reduction of bias. Jay Cunningham has committed his career to fighting for the same concepts – but in computing systems. An adjunct professor of design strategy at USC Iovine and Young Academy, Cunningham examines how developments like artificial intelligence and machine learning can become more inclusive and just for users and society at large. Algorithmic justice is one of his passions, and through IYA class visits and seminars, he’s sharing his knowledge with students so they can create and think through an equity-oriented and human-centered lens.

Cunningham’s goal is to highlight his inclusive design research in order to lead learners on an intellectual journey that not only educates, it empowers – enlightening the way they solve problems and build solutions. He’s proving that designing with neutrality does not necessarily equal holistic fairness. 

“I’ve been doing lectures on inclusive design, design justice, responsible design, [and] thinking about how we design more inclusively, accessibly, and equitably,” he explains, noting that we shouldn’t just accept our perceived realities in influential areas like law, policy, or tech. 

"Just because something just is, doesn’t mean it’s justice,” Cunningham adds (a nod to poet Amanda Gorman.)

To illustrate his work, Cunningham presented a design challenge at IYA scrutinizing LAPD’s facial recognition system, which has been criticized for bias, inaccuracy, and data collection practices. Students were tasked with developing a strategic plan for more inclusive outcomes for LA residents impacted by this tech. Their initiatives ranged from legislation to community campaigns, ultimately concluding that there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to achieving fairness in AI. Building a better system is the sum of many equitable parts. 

Design, driven by impact and purpose, acknowledges not only the system itself, but who is using that system. Now Cunningham devotes his time to analyzing the societal footprint of technology and how designers can solve problems with a wide spectrum of users in mind – an idea that encourages a broader design worldview for IYA students. 

“The thing I think IYA is amazing at is we don’t see design as a one-track thing. It’s not just interface design or graphic design,” he shares of the school’s unique framework. “What we are doing is really helping to think more critically about things, and this is a form of strategic design thinking.” 

Noting his visit to Innovators Forum to review pitches for inclusive design projects, he observed a collective desire to not only design, but “to shape and transform how innovation is done.” He applauds the combination of nurturing thought-leadership and preparation through hard skills. 

“That’s where the disruption comes in,” he points out. “It’s one thing to know how to do something, but if you don’t know how to ask bigger questions or disrupt the environment around you, then those skills are only as good as the uses you put them to.”

Cunningham spent his own undergraduate career as a computer science major embedded in engineering academia, admitting he led a “Hannah Montana”-esque double life. When he wasn’t embedded in the “crazy technical stuff,” he was busy making an impact as a campus leader in diversity and equity spaces. The line between those sides of him became narrow as he found common ground. 

“I wanted to find a way to basically bridge a lot of these interests, between equity and inclusion, and engineering … I found a cool way to keep those things together,” he says of his start.

Today, he’s a PhD candidate in the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington whose doctoral work explores responsible design practices that can lead to more inclusive automated speech recognition and language technology experiences for underserved speech communities. He’s also been a visiting student researcher at Google.

Inspired to disrupt through his research, design, and leadership, Cunningham continues to be a “public interest technologist” questioning technology’s impact on the world. He’s hoping to transform his findings into actionable policy, engaging with communities on tech issues for the greater good of humanity. That might sound like a lofty objective, but the way Cunningham poses his inquest, approaching the problem through a collaborative effort is a no-brainer. 

“How do we shape digital stewards within our communities? It shouldn’t be that me as a researcher or technologist should be the beholder of knowledge for tech. As many of those who create it, there are 100 times more people that use it. How might we involve those people in our processes and conversations, to lead to better outcomes in design?” 

An adjunct professor of design strategy at IYA, Jay Cunningham examines how developments like artificial intelligence and machine learning can become more inclusive and just for users and society at large.

Achieving Algorithmic Justice Through Inclusive Design