Project description
Auditing recommender systems: safeguarding discoverability of culturally diverse music
Algorithm audits are empirical studies investigating a public algorithmic system for potential problematic behaviour. They have emerged with the explosion of online platforms and AI applications to address the threat of biased outcomes, lack of transparency and misuse of data. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AA4MD project aims to develop auditing techniques involving end users that are tailored specifically for recommender systems. The project will include development of a web-based tool for large-scale audits as well as policy recommendations. Its overarching goal is to increase exposure to culturally diverse music by focusing on fairness, non-discrimination, inclusion and diversity.
Objective
The evolution of online platforms over the past decades has radically transformed the way people discover music, and nowadays thanks to social media and music streaming services listeners have access to an ever-increasing amount of tracks and artists. Within these platforms, one of the goals of Recommender Systems (RSs) is to help users discover music without making them feel overwhelmed while exploring the huge catalogues available. However, RSs have come under scrutiny from the scientific community, policy-makers, and civil society due to their potential negative societal impact, notably with regard to issues of fairness, non-discrimination, inclusion and diversity. Algorithmic auditing has emerged as a tool to analyse the problematic behaviours exhibited by RSs, and to offer remedies that can limit their negative impact. The AA4MD project aims to advance this area of research by crafting auditing techniques tailored specifically for music RSs. The objective of the project is to demonstrate how the involvement of end-users in the auditing process can contribute to the recognition, analysis, and mitigation of problematic behaviours which may arise while discovering music. The focus will be on highlighting how RSs, by influencing the discoverability of music, can impact listeners' exposure to culturally diverse content. In essence, AA4MD will provide 1) qualitative and quantitative insights into how users experience problematic behaviours of RSs when discovering music, 2) a web-based auditing tool that enables large-scale audits, developed following human-centred design practices, and 3) recommendations for policy-makers to enhance the discoverability of culturally diverse content on online platforms. Ultimately, the AA4MD project seeks to contribute to addressing the challenges posed by music RSs' problematic behaviours and to foster a more inclusive and diverse environment for music discovery within the digital landscape.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
00185 Roma
Italy