arXiv subjects

Kathleen Creel

Publications and source records attributed to Kathleen Creel.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Allocation Multiplicity: Evaluating the Promises of the Rashomon Set

The Rashomon set of equally-good models promises less discriminatory algorithms, reduced outcome homogenization, and fairer decisions through model ensembles or reconciliation. However, we argue from the perspective of allocation multiplicity that these promises may remain unfulfilled. When there are more qualified candidates than resources available, many different allocations of scarce resources can achieve the same utility. This space of equal-utility allocations may not be faithfully reflected by the Rashomon set, as we show in a case study of healthcare allocations. We attribute these unfulfilled promises to several factors: limitations in empirical methods for sampling from the Rashomon set, the standard practice of deterministically selecting individuals with the lowest risk, and structural biases that cause all equally-good models to view some qualified individuals as inherently risky.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2025

Homogeneous Algorithms Can Reduce Competition in Personalized Pricing

Firms' algorithm development practices are often homogeneous. Whether firms train algorithms on similar data, aim at similar benchmarks, or rely on similar pre-trained models, the result is correlated predictions. We model the impact of correlated algorithms on competition in the context of personalized pricing. Our analysis reveals that (1) higher correlation diminishes consumer welfare and (2) as consumers become more price sensitive, firms are increasingly incentivized to compromise on the accuracy of their predictions in exchange for coordination. We demonstrate our theoretical results in a stylized empirical study where two firms compete using personalized pricing algorithms. Our results underscore the ease with which algorithms facilitate price correlation without overt communication, which raises concerns about a new frontier of anti-competitive behavior. We analyze the implications of our results on the application and interpretation of US antitrust law.

cs.GT↗

arXiv2024

Scarce Resource Allocations That Rely On Machine Learning Should Be Randomized

Contrary to traditional deterministic notions of algorithmic fairness, this paper argues that fairly allocating scarce resources using machine learning often requires randomness. We address why, when, and how to randomize by proposing stochastic procedures that more adequately account for all of the claims that individuals have to allocations of social goods or opportunities.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2024

Algorithmic Pluralism: A Structural Approach To Equal Opportunity

We present a structural approach toward achieving equal opportunity in systems of algorithmic decision-making called algorithmic pluralism. Algorithmic pluralism describes a state of affairs in which no set of algorithms severely limits access to opportunity, allowing individuals the freedom to pursue a diverse range of life paths. To argue for algorithmic pluralism, we adopt Joseph Fishkin's theory of bottlenecks, which focuses on the structure of decision-points that determine how opportunities are allocated. The theory contends that each decision-point or bottleneck limits access to opportunities with some degree of severity and legitimacy. We extend Fishkin's structural viewpoint and use it to reframe existing systemic concerns about equal opportunity in algorithmic decision-making, such as patterned inequality and algorithmic monoculture. In proposing algorithmic pluralism, we argue for the urgent priority of alleviating severe bottlenecks in algorithmic decision-making. We contend that there must be a pluralism of opportunity available to many different individuals in order to promote equal opportunity in a systemic way. We further show how this framework has several implications for system design and regulation through current debates about equal opportunity in algorithmic hiring.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2022

On the Opportunities and Risks of Foundation Models

AI is undergoing a paradigm shift with the rise of models (e.g., BERT, DALL-E, GPT-3) that are trained on broad data at scale and are adaptable to a wide range of downstream tasks. We call these models foundation models to underscore their critically central yet incomplete character. This report provides a thorough account of the opportunities and risks of foundation models, ranging from their capabilities (e.g., language, vision, robotics, reasoning, human interaction) and technical principles(e.g., model architectures, training procedures, data, systems, security, evaluation, theory) to their applications (e.g., law, healthcare, education) and societal impact (e.g., inequity, misuse, economic and environmental impact, legal and ethical considerations). Though foundation models are based on standard deep learning and transfer learning, their scale results in new emergent capabilities,and their effectiveness across so many tasks incentivizes homogenization. Homogenization provides powerful leverage but demands caution, as the defects of the foundation model are inherited by all the adapted models downstream. Despite the impending widespread deployment of foundation models, we currently lack a clear understanding of how they work, when they fail, and what they are even capable of due to their emergent properties. To tackle these questions, we believe much of the critical research on foundation models will require deep interdisciplinary collaboration commensurate with their fundamentally sociotechnical nature.

cs.LG↗