NYC Allows AI to Influence Child Welfare Decisions

The Markup reported that New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is using a secretive algorithmic tool to categorize families as “high risk” based on 279 variables, including neighborhood and maternal age. This has led to intensified scrutiny, such as unannounced home visits, with potentially devastating consequences for families. Critics argue that the tool lacks transparency and accountability, drawing parallels to similar systems in other regions that had faced bias, particularly against Black families, who are investigated at seven times the rate of white families. The algorithm is based on outdated data from 2013 and 2014, raising concerns over its reliability. Prior attempts to implement similar tools elsewhere have been met with resistance due to issues regarding racial equity. Overall, the use of automated systems in child welfare is feared to entrench social inequalities without offering a fair means for families to challenge decisions that could disrupt their lives.

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