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A Moral Framework for Understanding of Fair ML through Economic Models of Equality of Opportunity

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  • Hoda Heidari
  • Michele Loi
  • Krishna P. Gummadi
  • Andreas Krause

Abstract

We map the recently proposed notions of algorithmic fairness to economic models of Equality of opportunity (EOP)---an extensively studied ideal of fairness in political philosophy. We formally show that through our conceptual mapping, many existing definition of algorithmic fairness, such as predictive value parity and equality of odds, can be interpreted as special cases of EOP. In this respect, our work serves as a unifying moral framework for understanding existing notions of algorithmic fairness. Most importantly, this framework allows us to explicitly spell out the moral assumptions underlying each notion of fairness, and interpret recent fairness impossibility results in a new light. Last but not least and inspired by luck egalitarian models of EOP, we propose a new family of measures for algorithmic fairness. We illustrate our proposal empirically and show that employing a measure of algorithmic (un)fairness when its underlying moral assumptions are not satisfied, can have devastating consequences for the disadvantaged group's welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Hoda Heidari & Michele Loi & Krishna P. Gummadi & Andreas Krause, 2018. "A Moral Framework for Understanding of Fair ML through Economic Models of Equality of Opportunity," Papers 1809.03400, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2018.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:1809.03400
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lefranc, Arnaud & Pistolesi, Nicolas & Trannoy, Alain, 2009. "Equality of opportunity and luck: Definitions and testable conditions, with an application to income in France," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(11-12), pages 1189-1207, December.
    2. Fleurbaey, Marc, 2012. "Fairness, Responsibility, and Welfare," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199653591.
    3. Richard Arneson, 2018. "Four Conceptions of Equal Opportunity," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(612), pages 152-173.
    4. Richard Arneson, 2018. "Four Conceptions of Equal Opportunity," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(612), pages 152-173, July.
    5. John E. Roemer, 2002. "Equality of opportunity: A progress report," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 19(2), pages 455-471.
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    Cited by:

    1. Samuele Centorrino & Jean-Pierre Florens & Jean-Michel Loubes, 2022. "Fairness constraint in Structural Econometrics and Application to fair estimation using Instrumental Variables," Papers 2202.08977, arXiv.org.

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